CULLMAN, Ala. – Six months into the current Cullman City Council term, Council President Pro Tem David Moss Jr. believes one of Cullman’s greatest success stories continues to be the city’s emergence as a regional tourism destination.
As chairman of the council’s tourism committee, Moss oversees an area that extends well beyond festivals. His responsibilities include tourism-related organizations and facilities such as Cullman Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism (CPRST), the Cullman Regional Airport, the Cullman County Museum, the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce and the Cullman Area Tourism Bureau.
Moss said tourism has grown into one of the community’s strongest economic engines while also improving quality of life for local residents.
“Tourism has become a strong economic driver in our community,” Moss said. “With our many festivals and events, our sports tourism and lake- and outdoor-related attractions, Cullman city and county have become a regional destination for many families. This has created jobs and opportunities in our area. The economic impact for our area is very positive.”
He credits much of that success to cooperation among the organizations responsible for promoting Cullman.
“The Tourism Bureau was created a few years ago to help facilitate and coordinate the efforts of the many different groups that contribute to tourism in our area,” Moss said. “The results have been encouraging.”
While attracting visitors remains a priority, Moss said many of the investments made for tourism benefit local families every day.
“One of the benefits of tourism is the enhanced quality of life for our area,” he said. “We have incredible parks and facilities like WildWater, the OmniPlex, Smith Lake Park and many others that bring visitors from outside of Cullman but also are great for our citizens as well.”
He said the same is true for signature events such as Christkindlmarkt, Oktoberfest and the Alabama Strawberry Festival.
“These are great tourism events but also wonderful events for the people in Cullman to enjoy,” Moss said.
Looking back over the past two decades, Moss said Cullman’s transformation into a destination community has exceeded what many residents once thought possible.
“If someone would have predicted 20 years ago that Cullman would become a destination for families to come and visit on this scale, I don’t believe many would have believed this,” he said.
Today, Moss said, the city has earned a reputation across Alabama for successful community events.
“I remember well when people would complain that there was ‘nothing to do’ in Cullman,” he said. “It is amazing to me how this has changed in the past several years.”
Seeing families gather throughout the year has become one of his favorite signs of that progress.
“I love to see all of the young families out enjoying 2nd Fridays, the Christkindlmarkt, the Strawberry Festival or many of our other events,” Moss said. “I think this identity as a town of fun festivals and events is something our citizens can be proud of.”
As Cullman continues to attract larger crowds, Moss said preserving the community’s family-oriented atmosphere remains important.
“I think we balance this first by the type of events we focus our efforts on,” he said. “The common theme for our events, festivals, parks and sporting events is family fun.”
He also believes tourism projects should continue serving both visitors and residents.
“I also believe it is important that the events and facilities are equal parts tourism and local quality of life enhancers,” Moss said. “I love it that so many young families are choosing to live in Cullman now partly because of the quality of life available here.”
Looking ahead, Moss pointed to several projects he believes residents should watch over the coming year.
Among them are improvements at East Side Park and the new performing arts center, both of which are already underway. He also highlighted the inaugural “Culinary in Cullman” Restaurant Week planned for September and said he expects the event to become an annual tradition.
Moss added that additional recreational projects remain in the planning stages and could further expand opportunities for residents in the years ahead.
Reflecting on the council itself, Moss said he has been encouraged by the progress made during the first six months of the new term.
“With regard to the council in general, we are now a little more than six months into this term,” he said. “We have mostly new City Council members, and the transition involves quite a learning curve, as would be expected.”
Despite that learning process, Moss said, he believes the council has established a strong foundation.
“I am very excited about where we are today,” he said. “Each of the new council members has put a lot of effort into their roles, and the energy is positive. I expect the next six months and the remaining three and a half years of this term are going to be very productive.”
Throughout the interview, Moss repeatedly returned to a common theme: promoting tourism while ensuring investments continue to enhance the quality of life for Cullman residents.
From parks and festivals to recreational facilities and future projects, he said the city’s continued growth should benefit both the visitors who choose Cullman as a destination and the families who call it home.
Publisher’s note: All council members were sent questions on the same day but only Hall, Schaffer and Moss replied. Chuck Shikle and Jason Willoughby never replied to any email requests.
