Stewart, Houston counties benefit from tourism dollars
Mark Hicks
It's not uncommon to see campers and boats in tow on any major thoroughfare of Stewart and Houston counties this time of year, but most people don't notice the dollar bills swirling behind as they pass.
Over the years, state and local leaders have worked to develop tourism into a major industry in Tennessee and those efforts continue to grow and bear economic fruit.
State officials have said in the past that the Volunteer State and Florida don't have a state income tax primarily because of their tourist industry.
For 2016, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development estimates more than $18.4 billion was generated directly from tourism.
In 2014, the figure was $17.7 billion, which was an all-time high for the state and a 6.3 percent increase over the previous year.
Statistics from the Middle Tennessee Tourism Council show that in 2014 Stewart County benefitted from an estimated $8.18 million in tourism related revenues.
Further, the study estimates that local resident paid $313 less in state and local taxes because of the tourism economic impact.
In Houston County, the Tourism Council estimated $6.14 million in tourism spending, which equated to $292 less in taxes.
"We want to do everything we can to promote tourism in our area," said Stewart County Mayor Rick Joiner. "It generates mush more money than people think."
Adds Houston County Mayor George Clark: "The people come in, stay and enjoy the beauty we have to offer, spend some money while they are here, then leave."
The two counties have plenty to offer visitors and their bordering the Tennessee River provides an opportunity for tourist development the majority of other counties statewide don't have.
Stewart and Houston counties are on the Tennessee River Trail, a 347-mile driving trail that stretches along both banks of the river from Kentucky to Alabama border.
They are also part of the nine-county association that works together to promote tourism around the river. Joiner was recently selected as chairman of the group.
The driving trail opened in 2011, but in 2005 the state legislature passed the Tennessee River Resort Act, which created a special tax zone within three miles of the river that allowed sales tax generated within the zone to be returned to the counties at a higher rate than regular local sales taxes. The only provision for the extra money is it has to be used for tourism.
Stewart County receives nearly $13,000 monthly in River Resort money and Houston County gets $7,500 to $8,000 monthly.
Meanwhile, the two counties have different ideas of how to spend the money.
In Stewart County, the money is primarily used to promote events that bring in visitors, and it helps operate the county's visitor center.
In Houston County, the money is being used to help build a park on the banks of the Tennessee River that county leaders envision as a vacation destination once completed.
And while neither county has an abundance of hotels or motels, the county governments are taking advantage of a hotel/motel tax allowed by the state to generate revenue from visitors.
"Tourism can be and is a huge economic impact for a county," said Clark. "We are very fortunate to have the lake (Tennessee River) and the River Resort Act money to promote it. We have to take advantage of it because not every county in the state has it."
Mark Hicks can be reached at 931-212-7626 or on Twitter: @markhicksleaf.