News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
No Smithville Fiddler’s Jamboree means a drop in tourism and sales tax for Dekalb County.
Smithville Dekalb County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Suzanne Williams said not having the festival will negatively impact Dekalb County’s yearly average of $50 million from tourists.
“It has just been an extraordinary economic benefit to Dekalb County and our neighboring counties,” Williams said. “Our local businesses look forward to the significant additional sales that start days before the Jamboree.”
Williams said hotels in the surrounding counties will hurt the most from the lack of tourism this summer. Thousands of tourist come to the Fiddler’s Jamboree each year.
“The hotels are used to being full,” Williams said. “Not just our hotels. I think we fill up us, and then, I have to give out the hotels in Warren, White and Putnam cause we are filled up. Of course, that will not be the case this year.”
With the jamboree cancelled, Williams said locals have stepped up their local spending during the pandemic. Dekalb County was up 22 percent in sales tax for the month of May.
“Our local folks have been more mindful to shop local,” Williams said. “We do not want to lose all these businesses and business owners we have grown to love. Our community has been wonderful. They want to help our small businesses recover from the month of being shut down.”
Williams said the large number of summer homes in Dekalb County also helped improve the sales tax collected.
