Clay Chamber Receives Tourism Plan

The Clay County Chamber of Commerce is moving forward with a new three-year strategic tourism plan designed by an external company.

Chamber Executive Director Doug Young said the plan arrived this week. It provides the chamber with the information it needs to create a proper road map for tourism moving forward. Young said the next step of the plan is to create a local volunteer group designed to assist with tourism efforts moving forward.

“For the last four years, I think I mentioned this earlier, we have set a new record each year in visitor spending and we hope to be able to continue that trend,” Young said. “And get more people not just coming in for a day, but coming in and staying overnight or for a week.”

Young said the plan also outlined a variety of online resources that the county and local businesses can use to promote themselves. Young said the chamber is looking to incorporate more events into the plan as those have historically brought many people to the area.

“What really jumped out at me (about the plan) was the things probably that we’re not doing that now we know to focus on and to do,” Young said.

Young said the chamber will be creating the volunteer organization right after the holiday season is over. Young said the tourism plan came from a firm that is also developing a similar tourism plan for the entirety of the Upper Cumberland.

“I think it’s money well spent,” Young said. “And we’ll be able to, as I say, come out of this with a road map and be able to greatly improve all those visitors coming to Clay County.”

Young said the plan also outlines the need for proper funding in order to do the tourism projects that the county needs. Young said the county commission has levied another cent and a half of hotel-motel taxes to provide financial aid for the work.

“In looking at the whole Upper Cumberland and putting all these pieces together, we have a really good two-week vacation just right here in the Upper Cumberland,” Young said.

Young said the chamber’s tourism director recently got her certification to conduct and promote destination shopping to aid in the effort. Young said the tourism director is now training local merchants in how to better attract tourists “off the lake and into their stores.”