Kane, CVB shine at selling Memphis

Like thousands of other Memphians whose jobs depend on the Memphis tourism industry, I have great interest in the continued successes delivered by the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau and its leader, Kevin Kane.

Just last week, MSN Online listed Memphis alongside international destinations like Paris, Istanbul, Venice and only four U.S. cities, among their “Top 20 Must Visit” tourist destinations. National Geographic Traveler did the same in December. Fluke? Hardly. It is because of a well-promoted tourist industry that provides our city’s largest economic impact.

Kane succeeds in that goal year after year despite an inadequate number of hotel rooms, dwindling airline service and a 40-year-old convention center. As executive director of the Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum, I’m pleased to say that despite the obstacles Kane and his staff face, attendance at our museum is 15 percent ahead of 2012. Kane and his staff are the museum’s strongest marketing asset.

I know that Kane has turned down job offers from several of the top 10 U.S. cities. He serves as the board chairman for Destination Marketing Professionals International, expanding the international opportunities for our city. Under his leadership, the CVB has launched strong marketing efforts throughout Europe, and now Brazil, which bring hundreds of thousands of tourists annually to our city, and they spend money. Half of the Rock ’n’ Soul Museum’s visitors are from other countries.

Yes, Kane travels all the time, but that’s what I want him to be doing. The international tourism success Memphis has enjoyed couldn’t happen if he sat in his office. He sells Memphis.

The CVB succeeds on behalf of our city and the naysayers, including The Commercial Appeal, want to complain (Aug. 4 article, “Dual interests / Kane’s investments benefit when CVB does its job”). Let’s fix what’s broken in our city. The CVB is not broken.