Tennessee’s Mountain Playground is continuing to make waves in tourism.
Gov. Bill Haslam and Kevin Triplett, Department of Tourist commissioner, announced Tuesday that Tennessee’s tourism direct domestic and international travel expenditures reached an all-time record high of $19.3 billion in 2016, up 4.7 percent over the previous year, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
Information provided by the state indicated guests spent a total of $27.1 million in Carter County in 2016, an increase of 1.8 percent compared to 2015 – generating a total of $2.32 million in the state and $2.38 million in local tax revenues.
Seeing the growth is exciting, Carter County Tourism Coordinator Kayla Carter said Thursday, and that it is a sign of bigger things to come for the area.
2017 has been no different for the county’s tourism department. Carter noted the asset action plan developed by Design Sensory, based out of Knoxville, will be essential moving forward in shaping the county’s tourism development plan.
Carter added the results will be unveiled during the October 16 Carter County Commission meeting and encouraged the public to come out and show support for what’s ahead in the decision making process.
“It’s important to use the tools available from Design Sensory,” she said. “We were awarded a grant that allowed us to use their resources to develop an asset plan for our community. It’s great to have the outside eyes come in and share their thoughts how we can continue to grow the tourism opportunities in Carter County and Elizabethton.”
During her time as coordinator, Carter added the biggest asset locally is the support from different groups and individuals and  their passion for the region.
“It’s amazing,” she said. “The goal is to harness all that passion and effort into a significant collaborative effort to make our area even more unique. It’s been a pleasure working with people like the Elizabethton IDEAS Group, the Elizabethton Arts and Cultural Alliance, Jon (Hartman) with the City of Elizabethton, Susan (Robinson) with the Mayor’s Office and others. It’s going to take everyone coming to the table and putting their heads together, and we’ve been able to accomplish that.
“We’ve still got a long way to go,” she continued. “But we’re excited about what the future holds.”
Another key intangible moving forward is the regional economic partnership, NeTREP. Carter added the region is joining to help one another will only be a benefit for the development of Northeast Tennessee.
“More people from around the world continue to visit Tennessee each year,” Haslam said in a statement issued to the Elizabethton Star. “The $1.7 billion in sales tax revenue and job growth are good news for everyone in Tennessee. The hard work of the tourism industry, led by the Department of Tourist Development and Tennessee Tourism Committee, continues to produce record results and dedication to boost Tennessee’s economy.”
Locally, Carter added various projects are on the horizon. Along with continual work with seeking grants, the tourism department will be in the process of utilizing grant funding to revamp the Downtown Elizabethton Walking Tour. Another project on the horizon is formatting the county’s brochure to double down as a pamphlet and relocation guide.
To stay up to date with the happenings in the county, check out Carter County Tourism on various social media sites online.