We have heard a lot about tourism, especially here in Selma where we are blessed with a world-renown event, such as the Selma-to-Montgomery march and the history behind it. That event draws others to our history — from Civil War to civil rights, we say.

Tourism is a growth industry worldwide. Recently, it was a topic at the World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, where it was estimated there would be 1.6 billion tourists traveling the globe by the end of the next decade.

Additionally, in this day of “hard to get away from the office,” people take fewer vacations of the two-week duration, opting for just a few days — a long weekend for the most part — three or four times a year.

Many younger families want more than a museum or single event; they seek an experience outside the norm.

Key to the tourism industry is finding something sustainable and attractive to these active, younger people.

Work has begun on a 550-mile trail along the west side of the state from the Gulf Coast to the mountains of the north, thanks to the Alabama Hiking Trail Society. The group already has some starts. The challenge is to build it out.

The group also has worked in Dallas County to use many of the surrounding trails here around the Alabama River.

This is an example of the new, green tourism. This is the focus worldwide.

Through the direction of Candace Johnson and others, this trail will bring more tourists to our county and city.

That’s good for us as a community. It’s good for our economy.