Discover Clarksville’s Food Scene with Hell’s Kitchen Champion Alex Belew

Clarksville, TN – Hell’s Kitchen Season 21 Winner Alex Belew recently worked with Visit Clarksville to help promote the city’s “surprising” culinary scene.

Featured in a series of videos for Visit Clarksville’s YouTube and Instagram channels, Belew is a Murfreesboro resident whose wife attended Austin Peay State University.

[Read more]

2023 Promises New Experiences to Clarksville Visitors

Clarksville, TN – This year’s hefty number of new business openings promises to continue through 2023, giving visitors to the northern middle Tennessee city even more to experience.

More dining, more shopping, more live music and events, more lodging options and more features at existing attractions mean a more desirable destination for potential tourists, Clarksville tourism officials say.

[Read more]

Clarksville’s Welcome Home Veterans Parade honors those that served

Clarksville, TN – Hundreds gathered around the streets of Downtown Clarksville Saturday for the 7th Annual Welcome Home Veterans Parade. The parade is part of the Welcome Home Veterans Celebration. Veterans from all around attended and took part in the parade.

The parade began at 10:00am.

“I am so glad to see so many people come out to the Welcome Home Veterans Parade to honor our veterans today. We have a lot of units this year,” said Theresa Harrington, Executive Director of Visit Clarksville. “We are just glad our veterans are home and we like to welcome them to Clarksville.”

[Read more]

Montgomery County Heritage Day to be held at Historic Collinsville Pioneer Settlement

Clarksville, TN – Celebrate local heritage at Historic Collinsville Pioneer Settlement’s Montgomery County Heritage Day on Saturday, August 20th, 2022 from 10:00am–4:00pm. 

Festivities include tomahawk throwing, butter making, and corn husk creations.

[Read more]

Historic Collinsville now has Daily Guilded Tours available

Clarksville, TN – A visit to Historic Collinsville Pioneer Settlement can now include a guided tour. At no additional cost, visitors can register for a guided tour each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Tours begin at 1:00pm and require reservations. Daily groups are limited to eight individuals. Tours will not be available on special event days.

[Read more]

Visit Clarksville provides Free Postcard so you can Invite Friends or Family to Meet You in Clarksville

Clarksville, TN – If you’re missing friends or family who live in other parts of the county, invite them to join you for an adventure here in Clarksville. Visit Clarksville, the city-county destination marketing organization, will send a custom-designed, handwritten postcard on your behalf.

To send a card, simply choose one of six different “Meet me in Clarksville” postcards from www/visitclarksvilletn.com/postcard, fill out the online form with the address and message, and Visit Clarksville will take care of the rest. Current designs include Downtown Commons, Dunbar Cave State Park, Historic Downtown, Clarksville Greenway, the Pat Head Summitt statue, and kayaking on the Cumberland River, but images will update seasonally.

[Read more]

Historic Collinsville 2022 Season opens April 1st

Clarksville, TN – Historic Collinsville Pioneer Settlement in rural Montgomery County, Tennessee, announces its 2022 opening weekend will be April 1st-3rd, 2022.

Visitors to the historic site will be greeted by new faces and can expect more activities throughout the year.

[Read more]

Clarksville’s Most Scenic Spots Guide now available in Spanish

Clarksville, TN – One of Visit Clarksville’s newest board members is a member of the city’s Hispanic community. Her business, Jimenez Consulting & Tax Services, also serves many Hispanic clients, some of whom are new to the area and interested in things to see and do. But travel information about what to experience in the area wasn’t available in Spanish. Visit Clarksville is changing that.

At the time Maria Jimenez began her board term in July, the Visit Clarksville marketing department had just published a blog showcasing Clarksville’s top scenic spots, using photos provided by visitors and local photographers.

[Read more]

Montgomery County Ranks 9th in Tennessee for Tourism Spending in 2020

Clarksville, TN – Clarksville-Montgomery County visitor spending outpaced the state and nation during 2020, despite a global pandemic.

Local tourism generated $252.14 million in domestic and international travel spending in 2020, a 28 percent decline from the previous year according to newly-released economic impact data from U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics. Tourism spending decreased 32 percent in Tennessee and 42 percent in the nation in 2020.

During the Governor’s Conference on Tourism, last week Department of Tourist Development Commissioner Mark Ezell announced that Tennessee’s leisure and hospitality industry was on a record track the first two months of 2020. COVID-19 was the largest crisis to hit the leisure and hospitality industry in history.

“Tennessee proved our resiliency by outperforming the nation,” he said. “During April, May, and June [2021] our tax revenue is out-performing pre-COVID numbers. And from April 2020 through January 21, Tennessee is one of only seven states with a positive percentage change in consumer spending.”

The 2020 economic impact report used a new research model that provided international data at the county level, which had previously only been available at the state level, as well as more comprehensive lodging information using mobile data. The report also breaks down spending by industry sector for the first time. All county-level reporting was adjusted back to 2015 to incorporate the more thorough and detailed data. 

Between 2015 and 2019, annual visitor spending in Montgomery County increased from $281 million to $352.5 million, a 25.4 percent increase, then decreased to $252 million in 2020. Average visitor spending in Montgomery County totaled just under $689,000 per day in 2020.

“We’ve experienced record-breaking growth in tourism during the previous five years,” said Visit Clarksville Board of Directors Chairman Matt Cunningham. “And we’ve not stopped marketing, so we’re well-positioned for a strong economic rebound. Like the state, we saw the beginnings of a big bounce-back in the early summer. Visitors and residents have made excellent use of our outdoor assets and recreational opportunities. We also have such a variety of restaurants here, and most all of them adapted well to meet safety protocols. These have given visitors and residents opportunities to experience our community safely and still support the local economy.”

Data from the Tourism Economics report showed that direct state and local taxes generated by tourist activity totaled $21 million. As a result of visitor spending, each household in Montgomery County pays $290 less in state and local taxes. Counting indirect spending throughs supporting industries, that amount totals $436 per household annually.

Other report highlights for Montgomery County:

• Direct labor income, or payroll, totaled $81.46 million, with 3,300 persons directly employed in tourism sectors.
• Food and Beverage spending totaled $90.5 million
• Lodging spending totaled $44.95 million
• Retail spending totaled $36.8 million
• Recreation spending totaled $20.56 million
• Transportation spending totaled $59.3 million

Visitor spending in Tennessee’s top nine counties in 2020:

1. Davidson County, $4.48 billion, down 43.2 percent
2. Shelby County, $2.57 billion, down 31.7 percent
3. Sevier County, $2.38 billion, down 13.5 percent
4. Knox County $1.16 billion, down 31.7 percent
5. Hamilton County, $1.07 billion, down 30.2 percent
6. Williamson County, $775 million, down 31.1 percent
7. Rutherford County, $472 million, down 27.6 percent
8. Blount County, $337 million, down 33.8 percent
9. Montgomery County, $252 million, down 28.5 percent

During 2020, Visit Clarksville hosted sports competitions in soccer, track & field, baseball, and softball that generated $9.3 million in visitor spending. In 2021, outdoor events kicked off again in May with baseball, track & field, and softball.

In July, Visit Clarksville hosted its first indoor sports competition with the AAU Boys National Basketball Championship, followed by another large outdoor softball tournament. This fall the TSSAA Middle School Cross Country State Finals takes place October 1st-2nd at Weakley Park, and the TACA East vs. West All-Star Football Championship happens December 7th-10th at Austin Peay State University.

“Fortunately, we weren’t completely shut down,” said Visit Clarksville Executive Director, Theresa Harrington. “Competitive sports, especially outdoor events, did still happen. We are blessed to have facilities that can accommodate those, and we worked with event organizers to make sure protocols were in place that kept everyone safe and still provided an excellent guest experience. In most cases, we are seeing fewer teams and attendance, but the good news is that people are traveling again, and that boosts the economy and benefits everyone.”

Cunningham also expressed optimism about the future of tourism in Montgomery County.

“From a tourism standpoint, we have a well-rounded economy because we’re not dependent on one primary attraction,” he said. “We have outstanding recreational assets and scenic beauty, historic attractions, family fun centers, entertainment, performing and visual arts, local shopping, a diverse food scene, and an emerging craft beverage scene. It’s been a hard year and many businesses have felt losses from reduced travel, but we’ve fared better than many places. We’ve had a good first quarter, so we’re looking ahead, planning ahead, and expecting economic prosperity again for all of our industries.”

About Visit Clarksville

The Clarksville-Montgomery County Tourism Commission was established by the State of Tennessee in 1979 to positively influences tourism in the Clarksville-Montgomery County area by promoting tourist attractions, hosting conventions and group tours, and engaging in large-scale marketing efforts. In 2015, the organization adopted the Visit Clarksville brand. Visit Clarksville is governed by a nine-member board of directors and is funded by a portion of the local hotel/motel tax.

Historic Collinsville Pioneer Settlement opens the weekend of June 5th

Clarksville, TN – On June 5th and 6th, Historic Collinsville Pioneer Settlement located in rural Montgomery County, Tennessee, will celebrate its 2021 season. The 40-acre, open-air property showcases pioneer life from 1840-1900 with 16 authentically furnished buildings.

[Read more]

Next Page »