By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – Governor Bob Riley says Alabama's Year of Food campaign has been named as the nation's top tourism drive. The National Council of State Tourism Directors singled out the state for the award. The Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel recently received the council's annual Mercury Award at a convention in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The campaign began at the end of 2004 and stretched through 2005. It included a cook-off contest among 60 chefs, a food products promotion in more than one thousand grocery stores in partnership with the Alabama Grocers Association, and a stamp featuring a tomato logo used to mail information to media. State tourism director Lee Sentell says the new campaign, called Year of Alabama Arts, will be launched this fall.