Speech to the Tennessee Tourism Roundtable & Legislative Caucus

Governor Philip N. Bredesen

I'm glad everyone made it to Nashville today. I know you're going to have a successful day on the Hill and I'm honored to have the opportunity to speak with you as we approach the start of this year's tourist season.

After the past few months, I know everyone is ready for a thaw—both in the weather and in the economy. I feel good about the road in front of us, and I hope you do, too.

First, I want to start by assuring you that I am firmly committed to raising tourism's profile in Tennessee. I know from serving as Nashville's mayor that it is an integral part of our state's economy.

In fact, I really view tourism as one of our main economic engines. Tourism is a sales-tax driven industry that really stokes our revenue system at the state level, and it fuels our local tax bases as well.

Here's what I really like about tourism: To be successful, we don't necessarily have to create something new or recruit a big corporation.

Tennessee is already fortunate to be blessed with an abundance of family attractions and an unrivaled outdoor appeal. In many cases, it's just a matter of calling attention to our existing assets and doing a better job of packaging what we've got.

Right now, we're also lucky to have a tourism commissioner who really understands what it takes to move the ball forward.

Susan Whitaker is a natural salesperson who knows how economically important tourism is to every region in our state—East, Middle and West. And she knows how to raise Tennessee's profile, nationally and internationally. We're glad she's here.

Obviously, some of the forces affecting us today are national and international in scope. A challenging economy, terrorism, the war. But while outside factors have an effect on our situation, I believe much of our destiny is still very much in our own hands.

Commissioner Whitaker and myself, along with others in state government, are going to be working hard in the coming years to grow Tennessee's tourism and develop some new formidable brands that will serve us well.

I want you to know that I view tourism as absolutely essential to our overall strategy of staying firmly focused on the economy and settling down to get the talk right about Tennessee.

Our ultimate goal when it comes to tourism, of course, is to simply move the needle and bring more people here. Now, the question is: How do you do it successfully, particularly in these uncertain times?

In Tennessee's case, we're going to rely on three cornerstones, moving forward.

First, we're going to find better ways to coordinate efforts inside state government and make better use of existing resources.

Second, we're going to hammer out regional strategies that work.

Third, we're going to be on the prowl for public-private partnerships that provide maximum return on our investments.

To accomplish these goals, we're going to have to do things a little differently in state government. We're going to have to think creatively and make smarter decisions. Let me step you through my thoughts.

Our first cornerstone is finding better ways to coordinate efforts inside state government and make better use of our existing resources. That's a challenge during this tight fiscal climate. But I'm confident we can do it.

For example, our budget in the next fiscal year includes a number of cuts, including reductions at the Department of Tourist Development.

But I'm proud to say we've been able to minimize the pain in that department by trimming bureaucracy and administrative expenses while preserving vital marketing dollars for tourism.

You know, I sometimes hate to admit it but I always ran my businesses better during tough times. So while these cuts have been difficult to undertake, I don't necessarily view them as harmful.

Later, when the economy rebounds, I feel confident that we will be able to find more money for programs like tourism marketing. In the meantime, we are going to have to do more with the same amount of money, or at least find more efficient ways to achieve the same goals.

One immediate change we're making is moving back in-house some of the creative work that has been unnecessarily farmed out at considerable expense in the past.

Commissioner Whitaker and her counterpart at ECD, Matt Kisber, are working closely together to make that happen. Matt has put together a top-notch creative services division that is servicing departments—including Tourist Development—at a much lower cost than an outside agency.

The net result: We'll eventually be spending less on fat agency contracts and more buying up the advertising and promotional resources that will drive people into our state.

On the topic of coordination, we're also working to get other offices in state government vested in tourism. Last month, we convened a "Jobs Cabinet" to bring together in one room the people who have the experience and control the resources that it will take to be effective in growing our economy.

Tourist Development is a critical player in this group. Commissioner Whitaker will be working hard with others on the Jobs Cabinet to dream up creative ways to mutually promote our shared resources.

You know, we can't promise a new Toyota plant for every town. But any number of communities may have lakes or cultural resources that, if properly marketed, can help economically.

For example, Environment and Conservation operates some high-quality state parks that can and will be better promoted as tourism assets.

These are the kinds of things we're talking about when it comes to making better use of our existing resources.

The second cornerstone in our tourism plan is this: Finding out how we can best play to our regional strengths.

This is a big, diverse state. one size does not fit all. I'm convinced that any community—big or small—can benefit from a solid regional economic-development plan that takes into account the key ingredient of tourism.

Tourism plays an obvious role in the economies of places like Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. And in big cities, there's room for improvement in vital areas such as air service. In Memphis, we have possibilities to better leverage boxing and to capture some of the gaming tourist traffic that's going down to Tunica.

But we can also elevate tourism in places that are off the beaten path. To explain, I'd like to borrow an example from the Commissioner that perfectly captures the essence of what I'm talking about.

Susan's son, Jeff, is a sportsman who lives in Columbia, Missouri, and likes to go on fishing vacations. He doesn't know a lot about Tennessee (although I'm sure he's learning). But he does happen to know that the world-record smallmouth bass was caught at Dale Hollow Lake.

For those of you who are curious, this whopper weighed almost 11 pounds and was caught in 1969.

No doubt, there are scores of amateur fishermen who would like to troll the waters up there if we make them aware they could be the next record holder.

So that's the hook for Dale Hollow Lake. And whether it's bass fishing or golf, or Civil War sites or Civil Rights sites, Tennessee has a wealth of attractions, natural and man-made. Now, the trick is finding that hook and promoting the heck out of it.

In the months ahead, you're going to hear us talk a lot more about tourism from a regional perspective.

The bottom line is: We're going to do what it takes to use tourism to help get our economy moving again, and to get the talk right about Tennessee.

That brings us to the third cornerstone of our plan. I'm a big believer in shared investments, and I know there are real opportunities out there to forge some excellent public-private partnerships in the years ahead.

When I was mayor of Nashville, I think we had a pretty good track record of joining forces with private interests to make good things happen.

During that time, the state and the city, as well as citizens and the local business community, all worked together to bring the Tennessee Titans to town. We opened new museums with the Country Music Foundation and the Frist Foundation. We used tax increment financing to revitalize Second Avenue and Lower Broadway.

I feel confident that the state AND local governments still can play a key role in developing Tennessee's tourism future. But, as you know, we are limited in what we can do. So, to a certain extent, the tourism industry is going to have to rely on a good dose of self-help.

I remember when Middle Tennessee tourism hit a rocky road back in 1997 or 1998 following the closing of Opryland Theme Park. A lot of people in the tourism community wanted the city to step in to invest a lot of money promoting this market.

We certainly did what we could. But at the end of the day, the responsibility fell on the hotels and other attractions to pool their resources and help themselves.

In some respects, not a lot has changed. As the economy heats up again, the responsibility will be mostly yours to find your own fortunes.

But I can promise you that the state will be there to work WITH businesses and local communities to draw visitors and identify the "hooks" we think can help.

You know, I often say the wealth of our state is not in the State Capitol. It is in the businesses that employ our citizens and in the hardworking Tennesseans who have good-paying jobs with good futures.

I'll make one amendment to that statement today. Most definitely, the wealth of our state is ALSO in the visitors who come to Tennessee from all corners of the world to enjoy our hospitality … hear our music … taste our food … shop in our stores … and experience our natural beauty.

As Governor, my basic premise is this: If we grow our numbers businesses and workers—and yes, tourists—then we will have the resources it takes in this state to educate and protect, and to help those who are less fortunate.

Now, when it comes to tourism, we just need to do a better job of thinking creatively.

That means making better use of our existing resources. It means hammering out regional strategies that work. And it means staying on the lookout for good public-private partnerships.

You know, I learned in life that when times are tough, that's when the real opportunities present themselves. Opportunities to change the way we do business. Opportunities to change the way we think.

For our part, we're going to use this time to change the way state government works and find smarter ways to approach Tourist Development.

I'm confident that with the right mindset and a strong desire to bring people to Tennessee that we will not only get back on our feet but we will come out swinging as we emerge from the soft economy.

I can assure you that your industry will ALWAYS have access to my administration. I look forward to working with each and every one of you in the coming months and years to make this great state even greater. Thank you.