Year Of Alabama Trails Campaign Wins Gold Award For Media Relations

The Alabama Tourism Department’s “Year of Alabama Trails” 2025-2026 campaign, which aims to spotlight Alabama’s outdoors, has earned top international recognition, winning the Gold Best Practice Award in Media Relations from the Public Relations Global Network. The award recognizes the campaign’s work promoting Alabama’s outdoor assets, including the Top 25 Must-Tread Trails list (which includes the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail) and a national media bicycle tour that brought journalists from outlets like The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, National Geographic and Travel + Leisure onto Alabama’s trails. Outdoor recreation contributes $6.6 billion annually to the state’s economy, and the campaign has helped raise visibility for trails, local communities and Alabama’s outdoor economy. The program is to expand to include themed trails highlighting the state’s culture, cuisine, history and natural wonders.