Cool Cat Kayak Co. Launches All-Inclusive Rentals on Tellico Lake
Cheyanne Marston spent more than 30 years as an occupational therapist before she ever set foot in a kayak. Now she is betting that Blount County residents and visitors will embrace the sport the same way she did — and she has launched Cool Cat Kayak Co. to make it as easy as possible for […]
Sports Tourism Quietly Reshapes Blount County’s Economy
When Mike Myers’ father and five friends leased a muddy limestone lot from a Blount County judge for $1 a year more than 60 years ago, the plan was simple: build their sons a ballpark. Maryville College provided the first bleachers. Willocks Brothers donated block for dugouts. South Central Bell contributed retired telephone poles for […]
Gas Prices, Slow Growth Test Blount County Tourism Outlook
Blount County has maintained an annual 5-6% jump in visitor expenditures since the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, that growth may flatten. For Blount County, where visitors generated $610.9 million in direct spending in 2024, that kind of slowdown would typically raise concern. But on the ground, tourism operators are reading the shift differently. Local experts […]
2026 Tennessee vacation guide released
The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development released the 2026 Vacation Guide heavily focused on Dolly Parton’s impact on the state’s tourism industry. The 150-page magazine, produced by Franklin-based Journal Communications, Inc., is distributed to an estimated 500,000 visitors annually and helps boost local tourism by serving as a how-to travel guide for visitors, said TDTD […]
