Building a Tourism-Ready Tennessee
The Tourism Ready Program is an initiative of the South Central Tennessee Tourism Association designed to help communities, businesses, and frontline staff fully engage in the tourism and hospitality industry.
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Being tourism ready means understanding the economic impact of tourism, working collaboratively to support visitor movement across the region, investing in a trained and welcoming workforce, and actively participating in tourism advocacy and industry conversations. Tourism-ready partners recognize that tourism is a shared regional effort—and that success depends on coordination, education, and commitment.
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Participants who complete the Tourism Ready Program receive a Tourism-Ready Three-Star Certification, signaling their dedication to strengthening tourism in South Central Tennessee. This certification not only demonstrates credibility within the industry but also opens access to funding opportunities for continuing education, industry training, and conferences.
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Whether you are a community leader, business owner, or individual employee, the Tourism Ready Program provides the tools, knowledge, and connections needed to support visitors, strengthen the local economy, and contribute to a more connected and competitive tourism region.
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Tourism-Ready DMO Program
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The Tourism-Ready DMO Program focuses on three core areas each year to strengthen local tourism development and community alignment.
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Step One: Annual Tourism-Ready Asset Assessment
DMOs complete an annual assessment that provides a comprehensive review of community tourism assets, evaluates evolving strengths and gaps, and examines how the local tourism development strategy aligns with Tourism-Ready program goals. This process helps ensure priorities remain data-driven and responsive to community needs.
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Step Two: Host a Tourism-Ready Workshop
Each year, DMOs host at least one Tourism-Ready workshop, with two formats available:
Economics Workshop: A data-focused session led by SCTTA that reviews the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development’s Annual Economic Impact Report. These workshops are designed for community leaders, business owners, and elected officials to build a shared understanding of tourism’s economic impact and value.
Community-Ready Workshop: A business-focused workshop that helps local businesses better engage with visitors and maximize their economic impact within the community. This workshop is offered both in person (optional) and virtually.
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Step Three: Support Visitor-Facing Tools
DMOs assist Experience Tennessee in identifying locations for Virtual Brochure Posters and help distribute Tourism-Ready Community Rack Cards to local businesses. These tools equip frontline staff with resources to confidently guide visitors and keep recommendations local.
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Optional: Tourism-Ready Community Marketing Program
DMOs may also participate in the Tourism-Ready Community Marketing Program by providing scholarships that allow local businesses access to industry tools and specialized marketing programming through the South Central Tennessee Tourism Association.
Become a Tourism-Ready Three-Star Certified Business
The Tourism Ready Three-Star Certification recognizes businesses that actively participate in the Tourism Ready Program and support the visitor experience in their community. To earn Three-Star status, businesses complete three foundational steps.
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Step One: Equip Your Team
Businesses provide staff with the Tourism Ready Community Rack Card and display the Experience Tennessee Virtual Brochure Rack Poster on-site. These tools help staff confidently answer common visitor questions—where to go, what to do, where to eat, stay, and find information—while keeping recommendations local. The virtual brochure poster offers scannable access to Experience Tennessee’s digital guides, giving staff enhanced resources to better serve guests.
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Step Two: Stay Engaged & Informed
Businesses sign up for the Tourism Ready newsletter and participate in Tourism Ready workshops offered quarterly, both in person and online. While attendance at every workshop is not required, participation in at least one annual economic impact data workshop is strongly encouraged. Businesses are also invited to quarterly Tourism Ready Socials across the region to connect with peers and industry partners.
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Step Three: Complete the Business Profile
Businesses complete the Experience Tennessee Business Profile Form. This free step ensures Experience Tennessee, local DMOs, welcome centers, and guest experience teams have accurate, up-to-date information to confidently recommend the business and maintain accurate listings across local, regional, and state tourism platforms.
Tourism Ready Community Designation
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Communities earn Tourism Ready Community status by completing a small set of meaningful benchmarks that demonstrate a strong commitment to tourism development. This designation requires completion of the Tourism Ready DMO Program and participation from at least 10 three-star certified tourism-ready business partners within the community.
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While the requirements are intentionally straightforward, the impact is significant. Achieving Tourism Ready Community status signals that a community understands the economic power of tourism and is actively working to leverage it. Tourism drives job creation, supports local businesses, increases tax revenues, and attracts investment that benefits both visitors and residents.
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Beyond economic impact, tourism enhances quality of life for locals by supporting improved amenities, revitalized downtowns, cultural programming, and stronger community identity. A Tourism Ready Community recognizes tourism not just as a visitor industry, but as a long-term driver of sustainable growth and place-making.
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This designation is further supported by an annual press release that outlines the Tourism Ready Program, highlights the community’s commitment to the tourism industry, and shares the measurable economic impact tourism has on the local community. This earned media component helps reinforce public awareness, community pride, and stakeholder support.