According to the most recent data released by the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development, direct visitor spending in Macon County was more than $12.2 million in 2023.
Out-of-town guests visit the area for sporting events, weddings, funerals, family visits, while others visit the area for the historic hotels and other leisure activities.
Tourism dollars are spent in a variety of ways, including lodging ($1.39 million in Macon County), food and beverages ($5.1 million), retail ($1.98 million), recreation ($380,000), and transportation ($3.2 million).
To help raise awareness and to further future tourism development, the Macon County Chamber of Commerce recently formed the Macon County Tourism Advisory Council.
The council launched last fall and has regularly convened in an effort to increase marketing potential for Macon County.
“We’ve formed this council to be a help to the chamber, to be able to reach a wider audience for local tourism,†said Macon County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jennifer Hardman. “We feel that having more members involved with gives us a greater reach.â€
Many of the individuals who are a part of the tourism advisory council own or operate businesses that are significantly entrenched in the county’s tourism activity.
Kally Efros currently serves as the organization’s president. Efros and her husband, Mark Efros (who is also a tourism advisory council member), own and operate the Armour’s Hotel and Spa in Red Boiling Springs.
Among those also serving on the council are Donoho Hotel owner and operator John Cook, Thomas House Hotel owner and operator Cherry Cole, the 37150 Community Center’s Laura Merlo, the Macon County Arts Council’s Pat Bailey, Vision 2020’s Rita Watson, Lafayette Lioness Lions Club representative Debbie Hughes, Macon County Chamber of Commerce board member Craig Harris and the Macon County Historical Society’s Randy East.
“As a group, we have created a new Facebook page, and a new Instagram and Pinterest page, that all highlight Macon County’s tourism-related web sites and activities,†Hardman said. “In addition, we have worked with a company called Chandlerthinks to create destination branding for Macon County.â€
Macon County was the beneficiary of grant funding from the Tennessee Department of Tourism for destination branding to be done by Chandlerthinks, a Franklin-based destination-branding specialist consisting of marketing experts. Macon County was accepted into the destination branding program in January, and a program ensued that consisted of Chandlerthinks visiting the area in order to familiarize itself in regard to what Macon County has to offer in terms of tourism.
“They were very thorough in their review of the area,†Hardman said. “They had a very good grasp of the way that Macon County presents itself. They stayed true to who we are in our branding.â€
The branding included a new logos for anything tourism-related in the county. The county also received a new tagline to be utilized on any tourism-related materials — including social media posts — which is “Refreshingly Rural.â€
“A position line is how we tell others who we are,†Hardman said. “It’s short form for who we are. When they came here, that’s what they saw … that we were refreshingly rural. That’s how they described us.â€
Chandlerthinks went through a process that began with conducting focus groups with influential community members, business leaders and heritage representatives to gather valuable insights on the destination’s assets, visitor profiles, challenges and personality.
That culminated with a brand-style guide having been developed, to ensure consistent application of the new brand across platforms, along with a one-page implementation action plan outlining immediate next steps and marketing priorities.
That action plan consists of brand truths, brand strategy, creative direction and campaign ads. All of this is done in an effort to further advance tourism in Macon County.
“Our ultimate goal is to create excitement around Macon County as a whole,†Hardman said. “We love where we live and want visitors to love it too.â€
Macon County currently ranks 67th in tourism revenue among the state’s 95 counties.
The department of tourism development lists its mission as “to increase the state’s economic viability and support the growth of tourism in all 95 counties by inspiring travel, developing programs and enhancing industry partnerships, which drive job creation, tax revenue and new investments, thereby enriching the quality of life for every Tennessean.â€
A lot of area residents may ask why tourism is important.
“Tourism ultimately saves every citizen tax monies,†Hardman said. “Monies gathered from visitors through tourism go into the general operating budget, which means that less taxes are required to be collected from the residents. That’s free money … tax dollars brought into our county — for roads, for schools ... whatever — that our citizens did not pay.â€
The county’s recent efforts is already making an impact.
“People (potential visitors) should already be seeing posts on social media such as day trips,†Hardman said. “There will be new branded merchandise available. The chamber of commerce has also qualified for a new grant to develop a new tourism web site, which will include the recently-acquired destination branding.â€
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