These sites within 14 states and the District of Columbia will allow visitors the ability to witness the destinations and landmarks that defined the settings of the American Civil Rights story.

“The civil rights movement encompassed the entire South, and this trail gives visitors one source for all the sites that tell that story today,” said Wit Tuttell, director of Visit North Carolina & Chair of the Travel South USA (TSUSA) Board. “We worked with historians and scholars to curate this trail to showcase how the civil rights movement changed the South, the U.S. and the world.”

While southern U.S. states produce the bulk of where the landmarks reside, there are several states outside of the southern region that have key Civil Rights sites, including Kansas, Delaware and the District of Columbia.

TSUSA has created the U.S. Civil Rights Trail Marketing Alliance, LLC to oversee the administration of this Trail. This Alliance is led and funded by the directors of each state’s tourism organization.

Kevin Langston, deputy commissioner of economic development for tourism at the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), mentioned, “In recent years, the South has grown to become a top destination for travelers seeking authentic experiences that bring them closer to a place’s past and present. The U.S. Civil Rights Trail connects travelers to the U.S. Civil Rights movement through historic landmarks and cultural institutions that played a vital role or help preserve the memory of our civil rights past. At every point along the trail, people will be walking where members of the Civil Rights movement walked, connecting them at an intimate level to this important story.”

“The Civil Rights Trail is an essential step in telling the important stories of this pivotal time in both our state’s and nation’s history,” said Tennessee Dept. of Tourist Development Commissioner Kevin Triplett. “Through the partnership of these 14 states and D.C. in highlighting the significance of these locations, visitors will be immersed in history, often walking in the footsteps of those who participated in the movement including ones who led the charge.

The year 2018 is an important milestone, as it marks 50 years since Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination on the balcony of Memphis’ Lorraine Motel; this path will help to mark a time that defined an essential part of American history.
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This venture has attracted U.S. and international press, with articles featured in The New York Times, Travel + Leisure and The Independent (U.K.). Rough Guide has named it the second trek out of 18 that should be on one’s radar in 2018.

For more information visit: CivilRightsTrail.com
Map of sites: CivilRightsTrail.com/discover-the-trail
To watch a video of the Trail, visit: vimeo.com/civilrightstrail

About Travel South USA
Travel South USA is America’s oldest and largest regional travel promotion organization, formed in 1965. The long-standing regional collaboration of the state tourism offices of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia provides a foundation to positively position tourism as a vital and dynamic element in the region’s economic development. Tourism ranks throughout the region as one of the top three industries, behind manufacturing and agriculture, and is responsible for $133 billion in spending by visitors, generating 1.4 million direct jobs, $30 billion in worker paychecks, and almost $16 billion in state and local taxes. Visit TravelSouthUSA.com for consumer information and travel industry information, TravelSouthUSA.org.
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Contact:
Angelica De Stefano / Coordinator,
Event Marketing & Communication
Travel South USA
404-231-1790
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Travel South USA
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