What is a ‘real’ American experience? The answer differs depending which of the many cities you visit, but if you ask the leaders of Memphis, it’s exploring the country’s cultural, musical and natural history.
Describing it as a “one-of-a-kind vacation destination”, Memphis tourism leaders say the city meets that international desire to visit ‘real’ America, a desire that they say is growing among Australian travellers.
That’s why Memphis Convention & Visitor Bureau has announced it is opening a local office, which will be headed by former Tourism Australia employee, Chris Ingram.
Ingram will lead sales and marketing efforts in Australia and New Zealand, two international markets that are the third strongest for the city following Canada and the UK.
Image: Memphis Travel/Facebook
MCVB’s President and CEO, Kevin Kane, said international representation has always been important for Memphis as a means of increasing destination awareness.
“Representation and partnerships have existed for Memphis tourism in Europe for 25 years resulting in Memphis as one of the premier and most visited destinations is the Southern US.”
Kevin Kane, MCVB President & CEO
Memphis is particularly popular for ‘Graceland’, the former home of the King of Rock, Elvis Presley as well as its many music and cultural museums.
According to latest figures, the majority of international visitors stop by Memphis for leisure travel and spend 3-4 nights in the city.
In 2015, spending from the international market reached $9.3 billion with a 3-5 percent growth expected by 2018.