Looking Ahead to 2026: What's next for Experience Tennessee

SCTTA CON 2025 was an absolute blast, and I want to start by saying thank you to everyone who showed up, participated, and helped make the day such a success. The energy in the room reminded me why this region, and this industry, is so special.

For me personally, the highlight of the day was honoring Captain Rodney. He has been a mentor to me and to so many of us, and his dedication to tourism and community leadership will be felt for many years to come. Captain Rodney truly embodies the spirit of teaching, guidance, and showing up for others, and it was an honor to recognize his impact.

As we look ahead, I am especially excited about several initiatives you will be hearing much more about in the coming weeks and months.

2026 Music Ecosystem Study

We are proud to be partnering with the Tennessee Entertainment Commission on a comprehensive Music Ecosystem Study for South Central Tennessee. This is a major opportunity for our region to better understand, and strategically grow, the impact music has on our communities, culture, and economy.

In early spring, we will launch a regional music census, and we will be leaning on many of you to help us gather the data needed to make this study meaningful and actionable.You can learn more and sign up for updates now at ExperienceTN.com/musicstudy.

We will be sending regular updates as the strategy and program roll out, and I strongly encourage everyone to sign up.

Yes, a Podcast

It is finally happening, and we could not be more excited.

We will soon be announcing a brand new Experience Tennessee podcast, hosted in partnership with our friends at Visit Columbia and The Mulehouse. The programming will be region wide, focused on the most interesting people, places, and stories across South Central Tennessee. This project is all about storytelling, character, and place, and we cannot wait to share more details soon.

Virtual Brochure Rack and New Travel Guides

The Virtual Brochure Rack continues to evolve and get better.

At SCTTA CON, we announced our new Guides and Brochures Program. In 2026, we will be rolling out 10 new topic specific information guides aligned with the region’s core travel pillars. These guides will be available in both print and digital formats, alongside our flagship Travel Guide and After Jack Guide.

With this new approach, we will be moving away from many individually printed brochures, with a few exceptions, and instead focusing on booklet style guides that cover broader themes. For example, instead of separate BBQ, catfish, and café brochures, you will find all of that content, plus listings, in a single Tennessee Flavor Guide.

This also allows us to simplify and strengthen our Virtual Brochure Rack posters and stands across the region, which continue to perform exceptionally well.

Field Notes Travel Newsletter

In 2026, we are also leaning into our Field Notes Travel Newsletter. Launched in October, the rollout has been smooth and incredibly encouraging. The newsletter now reaches over 20,000 subscribers, and it is still growing. This has quickly become one of our most effective tools for storytelling, trip inspiration, and regional promotion.

More Art Across the Region

We are excited to share plans to partner with our charitable arm, the Tennessee Tourism Investment Project, along with Do More Art, to do exactly that, more art.

Kristin Luna laid the groundwork for this program at SCTTA CON, and you will be receiving much more information soon. At its core, this initiative is about developing and executing more public art projects across South Central Tennessee. Through this partnership, we will be able to pursue additional art grants, catalog priority projects, and bring creative placemaking ideas to life across the region.

Be on the lookout for details in your inbox. We are aiming to kick off activity sooner rather than later.

Website, App, and Digital Strategy Updates

Finally, we are thrilled about several upcoming updates to our website and social media strategy.

These include:

• A completely refreshed mobile and desktop Experience Tennessee website

• The launch of our new mobile app

• Expanded integration of tours and trail experiences

• A new, modernized format for local DMO websites we manage, featuring improved functionality and a smoother mobile experience

  
  

Our goal is to have all of these updates completed by early March, creating a more seamless and powerful digital experience for travelers and partners alike.

- Ryan French, TMP

Executive Director

This segment was part of our monthly newsletter. Read the rest HERE.