Tourism Boards Offer Funding to City Police Departments to Boost Security
Skift Take
Tourism boards are usually behind the scenes of events, but Las Vegas and Nashville's organizations are often front and center in the form of security personnel hired by tourism officials through local police departments. Even if travelers don't realize this, parts of both cities' tourism budgets are very much on the front lines.
Tourism boards are in the business of budgeting for what they know will happen, such as large events and festivals and annual marketing campaigns. But some destination marketers are increasingly investing in more direct ways in security against often unknown threats, such as mass shootings or terrorist attacks.
The Nashville tourism board became the latest organization to offer grants to its city police department to ensure the safety of tourists.
Nashville, luckily, hasn't had any shootings or attacks on the level of Las Vegas, but it's also not waiting around unprepared, said Butch Spyridon, president and CEO of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp.
The tourism board announced last month that it plans to give a $100,000 annual grant to the city's police department and is also lobbying the city to use $150,000 from another city tax fund to help offset police overtime pay at special events this year. Nashville Police overtime grew from $6.1 million in fiscal 2014 to $9.1 million in fiscal 2017, and nearly all of the increase can be attributed to officers working special events, the Tennessean reported.
Spyridon acknowledged that the grant won't solve the problem but felt it was a nice gesture given the tourism board's role in rising overtime costs. "Back in 2003, we knew we had to do three things," he said. "We needed a new convention center, new branding, and big events. Big events have really helped to define us."
"We got into big events by necessity and its worked as a marketing and branding tool and we’ve stayed after it," said Spyridon.
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