In a sign that the hospitality industry is recovering nicely in North Alabama, the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau has hired a new full-time administrative assistant. Julian Burley, an Oakwood University graduate in business administration, is committed to Huntsville/Madison County growth and its goal of making this community a destination for all age groups and all forms of entertainment.

256 Today spoke to Charles Winters, executive vice president of the CVB a couple of weeks ago to ask whether the hospitality industry was back to normal in North Alabama. His enthusiasm was palpable.

“Business is back in local hotels to pre-pandemic levels, however, business and government travel sectors are still in the process of building back to those levels,” Winters said. “Leisure travel and sports have really taken off and they have played significant roles in pushing key performance indicators like hotel occupancy and average daily rate back to, or above, pre-pandemic levels.”

For certain, travel and tourism are big business in Huntsville and throughout Madison County despite the pandemic. In 2020, more than 2.8 million visitors accounted for an economic impact of $1.2 billion according to the Alabama Tourism Department.

“The knowledge and networking skills Julian attained at this Historically Black College and University allowed him to gain valuable work experience in management and in multiple fields from retail to healthcare and health and wellness,” said Winters in the press release. “We are glad to welcome him to the CVB.”