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The Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association (ALBBAA) is celebrating the summer vacation season with the inaugural Black Belt Road Trip Photo Contest.
ALBBAA wants to see photos showcasing the many attractions and activities available throughout the region, including outdoor recreation like fishing, hiking and bird watching, visiting cultural or historic sites, or enjoying the Black Belt’s lively art and food scene.
“Summer travel has become defined by experiences, rather than destinations, and that’s exactly what this new photo contest is designed to highlight,” ALBBAA Director Pam Swanner said. “There’s so much to experience right here in Alabama’s Black Belt. Maybe we’ll see photos of people enjoying the great outdoors at Roland Cooper State Park on the Alabama River or Lakepoint State Park on Lake Eufaula or Lake Lurleen State Park near Tuscaloosa.
“Maybe we’ll have photo entries showing visits to Old Cahawba or Moundville,” she continued. “Maybe people will submit photos showing iconic Civil Rights sites in Selma and Montgomery, adventurous activities like whitewater rafting on the Chattahoochee River or visiting Montgomery Whitewater, or maybe having a delicious meal with the family. These are just a few examples of the type of photos we expect to be submitted in this new contest.”
All photos entered in the 2024 Black Belt Road Trip Photo Contest must be taken in the Black Belt’s 23-county footprint and must include people. Selfies or family photos taken in front of an attraction’s sign are welcome.
The contest will have a first-, second-, and third-place winner. First prize is a two-night stay for up to four people in one of the beautiful Lakepoint State Park cottages in Eufaula, subject to availability at the time of reservation, and the stay must be used within the next 12 months following the conclusion of the contest. ALBBAA will also provide $150 to the winner for travel expenses.
The second-place finisher will receive a $75 gas card, and the third-place winner will receive a gift basket filled with ALBBAA-themed merchandise.
The contest, which begins June 14 and runs through Aug. 15, follows guidelines similar to other ALBBAA photo contests, including:
· To enter the contest, photos must be uploaded through the ALBBAA website.
· The winners of the contest are selected exclusively through online voting.
· Participants must fully complete the online form with the necessary information, including person (or persons) in the photo and the county where the photo was taken.
· Participants may submit multiple photos, but only one photo per activity or attraction (i.e. camping, hiking, canoeing, birding, dining, art class, festival, Rosa Parks Museum, etc.). All photos become the property of ALBBAA and may be used for promotional purposes.
· Visitors to the contest webpage are restricted to voting once per day, per e-mail, per IP address. In the case of any dispute, the decision of ALBBAA officials is final.
Entries can be submitted and votes cast online on the ALBBAA website – https://alabamablackbeltadventures.org/news-more/shoot-the-black-belt/roadtrip-photo-contest/
The ALBBAA reserves the right to approve or disapprove of a submitted photo. Cause for disqualification of a photo can include, but is not limited to, the following:
· The photo content presents the subject in an unethical or disrespectful manner.
· The photo content is perceived to cast a negative perception of the Black Belt, especially if it reflects unfavorably on management of wildlife.
· A voting violation which imposes an unfair advantage to others.
“It’s the summer driving season, and we want photos to show the wide variety of activities and attractions available throughout the Black Belt,” Swanner said. “We hope to receive entries from people who live in the Black Belt, as well as tourists visiting area attractions this summer.”
A recent economic impact report commissioned by ALBBAA found tourism in Alabama’s 23-county Black Belt region generated an annual economic impact of $3.8 billion in 2023 and accounted for about 45,500 jobs. A separate report developed by noted ecotourism expert Costas Christ showcased the region’s potential to emerge as a leading ecotourism destination.
The Black Belt includes the following 23 counties: Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Crenshaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Russell, Sumter, Tuscaloosa and Wilcox.
