American Bus Association names Clarksville’s Heroes, Hometowns & Legends One of the Top 100 Events in North American for 2016

Clarksville, TN – The American Bus Association (ABA) recently announced that Visit Clarksville’s Heroes, Hometowns & Legends has been designated as one of the Top 100 Events in North America for 2016 by an experienced expert tourism industry selection committee.

Inclusion in the Top 100 list, published as a supplement to Destinations magazine, indicates that Heroes, Hometowns & Legends – a three-day event series that honors our Veterans and the military heritage and culture of Clarksville-Montgomery County, offers unique and quality experiences to both tour groups and individual travelers from around the world, according to the ABA.

With the release of the American Bus Association’s 2016 Top 100 Events in North America, ABA celebrates 33 years of the program. What began as a way for motorcoach operators to incorporate new product into their itineraries has grown to one of the most sought-after lists by travel professionals, motorcoach operators and the general public.

“At a time when reenergizing domestic tourism is so important to our spirit and our economy, the honor gives our area an important boost in visibility among professional tour planners,” said Peter J. Pantuso, CTIS, ABA’s president and CEO.

According to studies completed by researchers at Dunham and Associates, one overnight visit by a motorcoach group can leave up to $25,000 in a local destination’s economy. Those dollars are spent on lodging, meals, admissions, fees, shopping, souvenirs, services and local taxes.

“Tour groups spend more and stay longer. Along with providing a special way to honor Veterans and active duty soldiers, Heroes, Hometowns & Legends is truly a local economic asset. There is no better way to jump-start tourism than to attract motorcoach groups to a great itinerary to extend their stay,” said Pantuso.

ABA’s 2015 Top 100 Events Selection Committee selected Heroes, Hometowns & Legends from hundreds of event nominations submitted by ABA members. Judges considered the event’s broad appeal, its accessibility to motorcoaches and skill at handling large groups, and a variety of other relevant criteria.

The Top 100 Events list is available online at www.buses.org/Top100.