News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The state senate approved a bill to allow Crossville to collect hotel/motel taxes Monday.
Tax proceeds must be used for tourism and economic development, including the newly-formed Crossville-Cumberland County Sports And Events Council. The City Of Crossville formed the council several months ago.
Council Chairman Doug Parkey said the group has outlined a three-tiered approach to increasing tourism dollars in the community. Parkey said the group will first examine maximizing the existing facilities.
“We have a really nice soccer complex, a really first-class baseball/softball complex and they’re just not being used to their fullest,” Parkey said. “There’s too many weekends they’re sitting open when those could be used.”
Parkey said the groups will also explore what events that could be recruited to the community, such as sports tournaments and events.
“We can recruit into Crossville and Cumberland County to benefit our local businesses, our hotels, our restaurants so we can provide some economic boon for them,” Parkey said.
Finally, Parkey said the group will examine new facilities or expansions to current facilities that might help drive tourism dollars.
With sports tourism accounting for better than $15 billion in revenue, Parkey said Crossville and Cumberland County want to get their share. The money from the hotel/motel tax can help with the council’s work.
“Over 60 percent of the people who attend an event will come back later to that area as a tourist,” Parkey said. “IF we could get them here, statistics show we can get them back.”
Parkey said he has talked with Cookeville Sports Council leaders to learn lessons from that group’s work. He said he would like to see the two groups work together to use the region’s resources.
“It’s a regional thing that we can all benefit from it,” Parkey said. “Looking at it from a regional standpoint makes sense.”
The bill, introduced by Senator Paul Bailey, would allow the City of Crossville to levy an occupancy tax of not more than three percent. The ordinance must pass council vote by a two-thirds vote. The state senate passed the bill on first consideration Monday.
