Though it enjoys traditions and cultural heritage unmatched by any other region, the South is not staid or stale. Tradition and heritage still play an important role in the cities and towns throughout the South, but today’s visitors will find those elements combined with new ideas, energy and applications that make them enticing and accessible.
Leaders throughout the Southern states are embracing the opportunities and attitudes of the 21st century. And change is happening at a grass-roots level, too, as entrepreneurs and adventurers on the ground create new tourism experiences that capture the inventive spirit of today’s South.
For a look at some ways the region is changing and progressing, we talked to tourism leaders from six Southern states and asked them to share their stories of the New South.
North Carolina: Traditions With a Twist
Travelers have long known North Carolina for its big cities, famous for finance and technology industries, as well as the beautiful beaches on its eastern side and the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west. Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit North Carolina, said each of these areas is seeing exciting new developments.
“There are some really neat things coming in attractions and lodging, like the new Kimpton hotel coming into Winston-Salem,” he said. “It’s going to be in the old R.J. Reynolds Building, which was the model for the Empire State Building. It’s a neat building with so much history, and it’s amazing to think about the deals that must have gone down there.”
When the 174-room hotel is finished later this year, it will be the city’s first luxury boutique property and will include some of the Reynolds building’s original architectural and decorative flourishes, such as gilded metal grillwork, ornate murals and exotic woods.
North Carolina locals are also excited about the new things happening in food and beverage throughout the state. Craft beer has become a hit, and Tuttell said North Carolina has more breweries than any other state in the South. There are also a number of distilleries that create legal moonshine.
One of the best examples of new twists on old traditions is the state’s barbecue scene.
“We’re known for our barbecue, and it’s always been fantastic,” Tuttell said. “Now we’re seeing a new breed of barbecue folks using organic hogs, and it’s much more visitor friendly. Now we have places where you get to know the farmer as much as you get to know the chef when you dine there. We’re not losing what makes us unique and distinct, but we’re doing things in modern ways to serve a new generation of travelers.”
Louisiana: Authentic Flavors
It’s impossible to talk about Louisiana without talking about food, and many travelers to the state delight in its centuries-old flavors. While those culinary traditions will always remain, visitors are finding new ways of enjoying the food culture throughout the state.
“The South has been at the forefront of the farm-to-table movement,” said Kyle Edmiston, Louisiana’s assistant secretary of tourism. “We have restaurants on the coast and in New Orleans that are offering catch-and-cook programs. You go and catch your own fish, either inland or offshore, and bring it to a participating restaurant, and they’ll cook what you caught that day. Other places can’t do that because they don’t have the fishing that we do.”
Food is one of the most powerful connections between Louisiana’s past and its present, and many of the state’s culinary traditions are unchanged. But tourism leaders have found new ways to present the state’s food scene to visitors in a series of culinary trails.
“They take you around the state and show you eight different regions,” Edmiston said. “They mix both fine dining and some really great mom-and-pop food. It’s a great way to travel around the state and see some of the attractions, history and culture in between the food stops.”
The trails cover the entire state, but nearly all groups that tour Louisiana will end up in New Orleans. For much of the past decade, New Orleans has dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which presented an abundance of challenges but also some unique opportunities.
“Louisiana is growing with millennials and entrepreneurs coming to New Orleans,” Edmiston said. “We’re seeing tremendous growth among 25- to 35-year-olds, who have been moving here and opening up opportunities for visitor experiences.”
