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The Pro Football Hall of Fame last weekend hosted Special Presidential Envoy for American Tourism Nick Adams to its venerable museum and sprawling campus as part of a White House initiative to amplify national and international tourism to great American sites.
The Hall of Fame that honors the heroes of America's favorite sport makes sense for a visit because, well, it recently enshrined its latest class and placed the new bronze busts, a new football season is on the horizon, and the facility itself is growing by leaps and bounds.
"I went there because Number One, I was invited, but Number Two because we believe in looking for places that we can really amplify and drive both domestic and international visitation to," said Adams, who is essentially tasked with being the brand ambassador or chief salesman for America.
Other countries call such people their ministers of tourism. And this tourism czar of sorts represents an administration that is fully immersed in sports.
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"Look, the administration loves sports," Adams said. "President Trump is crazy about sports, the Secretary of State and others. So we are looking to kind of push that and make sure that we invite the rest of the world to America to come and experience it."
The rest of the world recently visited America during the World Cup. The NFL is visiting abroad with games this season scheduled for Australia, Brazil, England, Germany, France and Mexico.
And now the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio is in that global conversation.
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The Hall, which asks visitors where they're from, says that international visitors rank 17th highest among the 52 places – 50 states, Washington D.C. and abroad – where its visitors reside.
In case you're wondering visitors from Pennsylvania represent the most visitors, followed by New York, Illinois, Texas and Michigan.
The Hall of Fame is working to improve its overall experience because next March it expects to complete its second phase of expansion to its Hall of Fame Village.
The 112-acre village will then be opening a 100,000-square-foot water park and at least three restaurants to go along with the venerable museum, the adjacent football stadium and other fields onsite.
"We're super excited about that, because the entire village project was built strategically around the museum to give an opportunity for folks to stay and play longer, to have things to do, restaurants to go to, engagement opportunities to elongate their stay," said Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Executive Vice President Anne Graffice.
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Graffice led the tour of dignitaries that included Adams, Ohio State House Representative Tex Fischer, and others.
"I'm already setting up meetings to support the expansion," Adams said. "I'll be working hard to increase their visibility. It's an amazing museum. It was an amazing experience and I think it's an unbelievable museum and attraction and I think it will continue to be great for Ohio."
And for that, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is grateful.
"We were honored to welcome [Ambassador] Adams to the museum that celebrates this country's most popular sport," said Hall of Fame Chiefs Communications and Content Officer Rich Desrosiers. "We know he took away a great experience that will help him understand the work that we do to promote the values of the game."
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