Meet Titanic Museum Attraction’s “Rose” in Pigeon Forge during Sweetheart Month

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Feb 112011
 

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. –  In James Cameron’s 1997 record-shattering movie “Titanic,” the character “Rose” – played by Kate Winslet – was the primary reason the movie is still regarded today as one of the most romantic films ever produced.  Titanic Museum Attraction’s own “Rose” will be making a special appearance in Pigeon Forge during Sweetheart Month.

Titanic Museum Attraction's "Rose" from Titanic movie

Titanic Museum Attraction’s Rose is actually Randi Shetley of Fowler, Kan., who has a story as amazing as the character from the movie that she plays.  The daughter of a minister and missionary, Shetley moved regularly throughout the Midwest while growing up and at an early age felt she too was meant to do missions work.

“My parents had been involved in international adoptions,” Shetley said.  “My husband and I decided before we were even married that we wanted to adopt children, too.”

With two biological children of their own, Alexis and Zion, Shetley and her husband, Shane, proceeded to adopt 4-year old Tyson and 6-year old Megin in 2003 after traveling to Ethiopia.  About four years later, after discovering that Megin had an older biological brother still in Ethiopia, the Shetley’s traveled back to adopt 11-year old Tem.

Today, Shetley and her husband (who is also a pastor) continue to support Visiting Orphans, a non-profit group based in Nashville, Tenn. and regularly take 10-day to two-week trips to foreign countries to spend time with, help and minister to orphaned children around the world.  For details about the Visiting Orphans program, see www.visitingorphans.org.

If raising five children wasn’t enough, Shetley also serves as a substitute teacher and teaches drama at Barclay College in Kansas.  While in junior high school, Shetley started a lifelong love for the performing arts, and eventually graduated from Friends University in Wichita, Kan. with a degree in theater.

“I simply love my life,” Shetley said.  “I get to go to the wonderful Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge and play dress-up as ‘Rose’ and literally – immediately after I leave Pigeon Forge – catch a flight to Ethiopia where I will spend two weeks ministering to orphans.  Who else gets to do that kind of thing?”

Shetley will appear as “Rose” at the Titanic Museum Attraction Thursday, Feb. 10 through Valentine’s Day, Monday, Feb. 14 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily.

Throughout the entire month of February, Titanic Museum Attraction celebrates and honors the love stories from the Titanic (twelve couples onboard the ship were on their honeymoon!) with special events and a “Retie the Knot” contest.  To enter the contest, which is open now through Feb. 13, 2011, simply tell us your amazing love story and you could win a FREE two-night stay at Wilderness at the Smokies resort and a complete vow renewal ceremony on the Titanic Museum Attraction’s $1 million Grand Staircase.  Find out more about “Retie the Knot” here.

Although it has been open less than a year, the Titanic Museum attraction already is recognized as one of the Great Smoky Mountain Region’s top attractions, and draws 100,000 visitors each and every month.  The Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. is open daily at 9 a.m.  Reservations are strongly suggested (many days sell out entirely). Or, passengers may purchase tickets online at www.titanicpigeonforge.com or by phone at 800-381-7670.

IAAPA Funworld Magazine reports Pigeon Forge getting a water-powered funhouse on steriods

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Feb 112011
 

From the February 2011 issue of IAAPA Funworld Magazine — As everyone knows, bad things happened to the Titanic when it ventured out onto the water. The Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, however, is hoping very good things will happen to its guests in 2013 when they visit the museum’s newest offering, Water Magic.

Artist's concept drawing of Water Magic

Set on a 12-acre site directly across the street from the museum, the $40 million attraction will be designed to allow guests to discover new and creative ways to have fun with water without really getting soaked. Water Magic is not a waterpark—in fact, most guests will probably wear their street clothes into the venue.

But that doesn’t mean there won’t be plenty of water frolicking going on. In fact, Water Magic’s creators describe it as a “water-powered funhouse on steroids” and say its motto will be, “Get me wet.”

According to John Joslyn, who coowns the Titanic Museum with his wife, Mary Kellogg-Joslyn, he and his creative team—including Bob Fleming, president of Idletime, which designed Titanic Museums in both Pigeon Forge and Branson, Missouri— were meeting back in 2009 and looking at what they could possibly do to creatively expand the museum.

“Finally I asked, ‘What captivates children and adults more than anything else?’ and Bob replied, ‘It’s water,’ and I said, ‘Yes!’ So we thought, ‘Could we have a room where people could walk on water, or could we have a bubble room, or do a water theater?’ It’s just one of those simplistic things in life that hits you like a lightning bolt, and it just sort of took us all aback in the room.”

Water Magic will be a year-round attraction set in a 40,000-square-foot building. One of the first sites visitors will see is a 100-foot kinetic energy sculpture topped by a 1,000-gallon bucket that will spill water down onto Water Magic’s grand entry plaza. Guests will then proceed to Emporium Square, a two-story atrium filled with water-driven gadgets, like water fountains of all shapes and sizes synchronized to music.

Emporium Square will lead to several gateways, and visitors can choose which one will start their adventure. Each leads to a different gallery; some that will allow guests to feel as if they’re walking on water, while others, like the “Mirror Maze,” will present a puzzle that carries with it the chance of getting wet; still others, like “The Water Tunnel,” will wrap visitors in a cocoon of water.

The Water Theater will present “Imagination Rhapsody,” a musical melee of water jets and water spouts where guests can create their own water symphonies, with the possibility of a missed note sending a wave of water their way. In the “Deep-Sea Expedition” venue, guests will experience an exploratory dive to the ocean floor.

The owners say Water Magic will also be “wrapped in green,” a reference to its environmental stewardship. “We do have a responsibility to the environment,” says Joslyn, “and if we’re moving that much water, we should be able to figure out how to recycle it, how to use it for heating and cooling, and for power generation, which we will do. Plus, the people in the fountain business have really explored ways to recycle water, and if we have rainwater coming down in a deluge in the parking lot, we should be able to capture it and use it. We’re going to use water in smart ways.”
www.titanicpigeonforge.com

This story is property of IAAPA Funworld Magazine.

The first-ever K2 Wilderness at the Smokies Volleyball Tournament draws more than 6,000 people to Sevierville

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Feb 042011
 

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. — Local, regional and national sporting events are flocking to the new Wilderness at the Smokies resort in Sevierville, Tenn.  Within a one-day drive for 75 percent of the Eastern U.S. population, Wilderness at the Smokies resort provides a perfect year-round location for sporting events large and small and is quickly becoming a favorite of sporting event organizers.

WBIR conducts an interview at the K2 Wilderness at the Smokies Volleyball Tournament

Last weekend, Knoxville-based K2 Volleyball hosted its first-annual “K2 Wilderness at the Smokies Volleyball Tournament.  More than 1,400 elite athletes and more than 6,000 guests, fans and spectators turned out for the competition that featured the best volleyball teams from all over the Eastern U.S.

(Click on the image to the right to watch the complete WBIR-TV story.)

Part of Wilderness’ draw for sporting competitions is that the resort has so much to offer athletes when they aren’t actively competing.  With three waterparks (including a five-acre indoor waterpark), a championship golf course, arcades, six on-property restaurants and countless other amenities, athletes and their guests stay entertained without having to travel outside the resort.  For those who do venture off-property, the hundreds of local attractions in the Smoky Mountain Region offer plenty of choices.

“My daughters are competing in the K2 Wilderness at the Smokies Volleyball Tournament,” said Scott Hames, a parent and coach.  “Right now, they are down at the indoor waterpark – and they are somewhat disappointed that they’re going to have to come up here to compete in a few hours.  They could play at the waterpark all day.”

The Mountain Press has complete coverage of the K2 Wilderness at the Smokies Voleyball Tournament; read the entire story here.

Wilderness at the Smokies has hosted major national youth sporting events including gymnastics competitions, cheerleading competitions, basketball, karate, volleyball, BMX Biking and power tumbling.  TAnother recent major sporting event at Wilderness at the Smokies was the Smoky Mountain Gymnastics Vacation Classic which took place over a four-day period.  There were nearly 7,000 attendees at the Smoky Mountain Gymnastics Vacation Classic.

“Wilderness at the Smokies resort is extremely focused on meeting the needs of sporting event planners and coordinators,” said Steve Cruz, Director of Sales and Marketing for Wilderness at the Smokies.  “We have invested in state-of-the-art athletic flooring for the 200,000 square-foot event center adjacent to our resort, and we can comfortably host very large volleyball, basketball, gymnastics and tennis events along with many other indoor sports.”

“Because we have hosted a variety of different athletic events, we know what is important to event planners and coordinators.  Our primary goal is to make their job as easy as possible and to enhance the overall experience of their guests.  There simply aren’t many venues that allow athletes and spectators to watch a competition and then play in a five-acre indoor waterpark ten minutes later without ever leaving the property.  Wilderness at the Smokies is quickly being recognized as the Southeast’s premier year-round athletic venue.”

To assist with the setup for sporting events, Wilderness at the Smokies has its own sports court flooring and can provide up to 20 volleyball courts and nets or, if the sport is basketball, five sets of basketball hoops.

Attached to the 200,000 square-foot Sevierville Event Center, Wilderness at the Smokies offers nearly 1,000 mountain modern guest rooms and multi-room suites in addition to condominiums and a Wyndham Vacation Resort on the Wilderness property.

Wilderness resort works regularly with large youth groups (church groups, athletic groups, youth conferences and conventions).  With restaurants, gift shops, convenience stores, game rooms, mini-golf, lounges, a deli, two outdoor waterparks and a five-acre indoor waterpark, it isn’t necessary to leave the 700-acre resort. Coaches, athletes and spectators can even get to/from the event center without ever going outside – making Wilderness at the Smokies one of the Southeast’s only year-round destinations for sporting events.

(Click on the image to the left to see more television coverage of the K2 Tournament from WATE-TV and WVLT-TV.)

While staying at Wilderness at the Smokies resort, guests can swim, surf and splash in the waves in 84-degree weather all year because of the five-acre indoor waterpark.  Also, Wilderness at the Smokies has countless meeting rooms where teams and athletes can meet with coaches to prepare, go over strategy and review results before, during and after competitions.

When sports groups of any type are staying at Wilderness at the Smokies, the resort will arrange anything the group organizers request – including transportation to and from other locations for athletics, shopping or to take in the local attractions.  Wilderness at the Smokies also partners with many of the local attractions like the new Titanic Museum Attraction, the Ripley’s Aquarium, Dixie Stampede, WonderWorks, Tanger Outlet Mall and other popular destinations to provide value pricing for athletes and their guests.

Wilderness at the Smokies packages rooms and meeting space as well as services (transportation, A/V equipment, etc.) to create a cost-effective overall approach for sporting event planners and organizers.  Because Wilderness at the Smokies is so large and has so many events, organizers benefit from the volume of work Wilderness does with local suppliers and subcontractors that support large conferences, conventions and athletic events.  Since guests at Wilderness at the Smokies never have to leave the resort, and transportation around the property is completely free for its guests, they can park their cars at Wilderness (free of charge) and not get in them again until it’s time to leave.  Everything a guest could want in terms of family fun and R&R is available on the property.

Wilderness at the Smokies, located minutes from Interstate 40 and situated in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, is establishing a new standard for athletic competitions, conferences, conventions and meetings in East Tennessee.  With two six restaurants, two 18-hole golf courses, two outdoor waterparks, an indoor waterpark with a wave pool and surf rider, hot tubs, and countless waterslides and attractions, Wilderness at the Smokies has something for all age groups.  For more information about Wilderness at the Smokies, visit www.WildernessAtTheSmokies.com.

Rick Laney talks to WJHL-TV about Sweetheart Month at Titanic Museum Attraction and a free romantic weekend getaway

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Jan 312011
 

Pigeon Forge, Tenn. – January 29, 2011 – Romance and adventure were in the air when Titanic set sail on April 10, 1912.  Fourteen couples traveling on Titanic were on their honeymoon, including nine in first class.  There were also many young brides-to-be sailing to America to start a new life in a new country.  Titanic Museum Attraction’s Sweetheart Month – which takes place throughout February – pays tribute to romance and the lasting love of devoted couples everywhere.

Watch the entire WJHL-TV (CBS) segment from 11 Connects about Sweetheart Month at the Titanic Museum Attraction with Josh Smith and me by clicking on the picture below.

Josh Smith and Rick Laney on the 11 Connects set at WJHL.

In honor of the Titanic’s romantic history, Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge is giving away a FREE Vow Renewal on the Titanic Museum’s Grand Staircase which includes a two-night stay at the Wilderness at the Smokies Resort in Sevierville, Tenn. and two tickets to the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, Tenn. The Vow Renewal ceremony will take place in elegant style on Titanic’s million-dollar Grand Staircase and will be presided over by the ship’s captain.

Titanic Museum Attraction is looking for couples who got married in a very unique way or have a unique story to tell about their wedding day.  Beginning now, anyone who thinks they have an amazing love story can go to Titanic Museum Attraction’s website at www.TitanicPigeonForge.com and fill out the entry form.

Read the complete story of the Titanic Museum Attraction’s Sweetheart Month contest here.

Evel Knievel: Athlete Extraordinaire

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Jan 252011
 

Evel Knievel was my hero as a kid.  As an adult, I got to work with and spend time with him.  I drove him around in my car, sat and talked to him in hotel rooms, made stops at mini-marts to purchase No-Doze for him (when he was extremely sick and still doing four-hour autograph sessions with fans), and — yes — I did put on the helmet and white leather jacket with the red, white and blue “V” on the front when he wasn’t looking.  You can read more about Evel Knievel and me here.

Chuck Klosterman recently wrote the following about Evel Knievel and I believe it might be the best thing ever written about the World’s Greatest Daredevil:

Evel Knievel

I’m not sure Evel Knievel was a great athlete.  He was certainly “athletic” (in that he could rodeo-ride and ski jump and pole vault and play semi-pro hockey), and no reasonable man would dispute the veracity of his “greatness” (he remains the most famous daredevil in the world, despite being dead).  But is jumping over things on a machine — or more accurately, failing to jump over things on a machine — a reflection of athletic prowess?  Probably not.  If he were alive, though, I’d never say that to Evel because he might beat me with a baseball bat.

Once, long ago, a foolish man named Shelly Saltman wrote a book accusing Evel Knievel of being an abusive person.  Around the time of the book’s release, both of Knievel’s arms were in medical casts (he had crashed during a jump in Chicago).  Yet these injuries did not stop Evel from heading to California and clubbing Saltman with a Louisville Slugger, shattering the writer’s left arm and right wrist.  Just think about that: a man with two recently broken arms breaking another guy’s arm in the light of day on a studio lot in Los Angeles.

This hardly advances Evel Knievel’s claim of athletic greatness; we’d never view Ron Artest as better than Chris Paul simply because he’s more insane.  But revenge reflects the spirit of athletic desire, just as trying to jump an Idaho canyon on a Skycycle reflects the spirit of unadulterated personal confidence.  Nobody was ever scared of less than Evel Knievel.  The world is both safer and more depressing without him.  And how many “great athletes” can you say that about?

Ackermann’s Rick Laney talks travel and tourism changes in the Smoky Mountain Region with WBIR (NBC) television

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Jan 192011
 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Ackermann PR ’s Rick Laney sat down to talk with WBIR (NBC) television about dramatic changes taking place in the tourism industry in and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  In recent years, Ackermann identified some significant shifts taking place in the local travel and tourism industries and conducted a private study of visitors during 2007 and 2008 (with updated data for 2009 and 2010).

Two key figures came to light through the study:  The Smoky Mountain Region is drawing a huge number of first-time visitors every year (as high as 41 percent in some areas) and traditional tourism cycles that tied closely to the school year had disappeared and the Smoky Mountain Region is now a year-round destination.

Click on the image below to watch the entire report from WBIR television.

Titanic Museum Attraction sponsors romantic Valentine’s Day vacation getaway

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Jan 192011
 

(From AckermannWire)  Pigeon Forge, Tenn. – Romance and adventure were in the air when Titanic set sail on April 10, 1912.  Fourteen couples traveling on Titanic were on their honeymoon, including nine in first class.  There were also many young brides-to-be sailing to America to start a new life in a new country.  Titanic Museum Attraction’s Sweetheart Month – which takes place throughout February – pays tribute to romance and the lasting love of devoted couples everywhere.

Romance is alive and well at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge

In honor of the Titanic’s romantic history, Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge is giving away a FREE Vow Renewal on the Titanic Museum’s Grand Staircase which includes a two-night stay at the Wilderness at the Smokies Resort in Sevierville, Tenn. and two tickets to the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, Tenn. The Vow Renewal ceremony will take place in elegant style on Titanic’s million-dollar Grand Staircase and will be presided over by the ship’s captain.

Titanic Museum Attraction is looking for couples who got married in a very unique way or have a unique story to tell about their wedding day.  Beginning now, anyone who thinks they have an amazing love story can go to Titanic Museum Attraction’s website at www.TitanicPigeonForge.com and fill out the entry form. Get your family involved as well. You can have your parents, grandparents, friends, etc. fill out contest entry forms about your wedding. Make sure that each entry includes the same “Bride and Groom” information.

On Valentine’s Day, one of the couples will be selected and awarded with the Vow Renewal package. You must fill out a contest entry form on the website to win. Winners will be notified after Valentine’s Day and the Vow Renewal must be scheduled and executed by Dec. 31, 2011.

It really is that simple!  Entries will only be accepted until Feb. 13, 2011, so hurry and beat the crowd! Contestants must be 18 years of age to enter.  The prize package does not include travel, airfare or other accommodations.

Although it has been open less than a year, the Titanic Museum attraction already is recognized as one of the Great Smoky Mountain area’s top attractions, and according to owner John Joslyn, the museum is just getting started.  Valentine’s Day will be celebrated all 28 days of February at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge during the museum’s first annual “Sweetheart Month.”

The Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. is open daily at 9 a.m.  Reservations are strongly suggested (many days sell out entirely). Or, passengers may purchase tickets online at www.titanicpigeonforge.com or by phone at 800-381-7670.

Cedar Bay Entertainment owns and operates Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson, Mo.and Pigeon Forge, Tenn.  A privately owned-and-operated entertainment and development company, Cedar Bay is headquartered in Branson, Mo., the site of its first Titanic Museum Attraction.  Since it’s April 2006 grand opening, Titanic Branson has welcomed nearly 3 million guests.

Disclaimer: The contest will be open only to legal residents of the United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry. The contest winner will be selected by a panel of Titanic Judges. The most unique wedding story, to be determined by the panel of Titanic Judges, will win. Winner will be notified by telephone and/or email.

Ackermann PR names Rick Laney Vice President

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Jan 192011
 

(From AckermannWire) Knoxville, Tenn. – Cathy Ackermann, president and CEO of Ackermann PR, announced today that Rick Laney has been promoted to Vice President, Ackermann PR, effective immediately.

Rick Laney

With two decades of senior-level marketing management experience – combined with a background in print and broadcast journalism – Laney has a clear understanding of both marketing strategy and communications expertise.  He has won statewide journalism awards in Ohio and Tennessee and garnered 20 ADDY Awards.  Laney has been at Ackermann PR as a Senior Account Executive since 2008 and oversees the travel and tourism practice area for the firm.  His clients include Wilderness at the Smokies resort, Titanic Museum Attraction, Water Magic, Cellular Sales Verizon Wireless, among others.

“Since joining Ackermann PR, Rick Laney has worked to establish very strong relationships with our clients,” said Cathy Ackermann.  “He always strives to consistently and enthusiastically exceed expectations for our clients as well as for our company.  We appreciate the strong leadership and innovation he brings to every project.”

For the past three decades, Ackermann PR has been one of Tennessee’s premier public relations and marketing firms.  With offices in Dallas, Washington, D.C. and Knoxville, Ackermann PR is one of only two public relations firms in Tennessee listed as one of the nation’s “Top 100” by PR Week Magazine.

Titanic Museum prepares for world-class ice carving competition on Saturday, January 22

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Jan 192011
 

(From AckermannWire)  Pigeon Forge, Tenn. – World-class professional ice sculptors from around the globe will compete at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge this month as part of the museum’s amazing kick-off to 2011.  This unique, family-oriented special event at the World’s Largest Titanic Museum Attraction is entirely FREE of charge.

Titanic's First Class Maid Jaynee shows off an amazing ice scuplture

The Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge will host the outdoor event with a major ice carving competition on Saturday, Jan. 22 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.  Due to anticipated interest, visitors are advised to arrive early for the best views to watch all the ice carving action.

“This exciting one-day event will be produced by Titanic Pigeon Forge under the auspices of the National Ice Carving Association,” said John Joslyn, owner of the Titanic Museum Attraction.

“Visitors will be invited to come to Titanic’s outdoor staging center and watch professional and amateur sculptors turn 250-pound blocks of ice into frozen works of art. Kids and parents can view sculptures in progress, talk to the artists and learn the secrets of championship ice carving from the most accomplished ice artists in the entire world.”

Professionals and amateurs will compete for prize monies ranging from $500 to $2,000. The official NICA Judging Panel will announce the competition winners and award prizes at 3 p.m.

“After watching these artists at work, people will want to stick around to see if their favorite sculptor is the big-prize winner,” Joslyn said.

Although it has been open less than a year, the Titanic Museum attraction already is recognized as one of the Great Smoky Mountain Region’s top attractions, and draws approximately 100,000 visitors each and every month.

“As we begin 2011, Titanic Pigeon Forge is locking-in exciting, seasonal events to add fresh, new excitement to the already super-charged museum attraction,” Joslyn said. “Each of our special events is carefully selected for their entertainment and educational values as well as their ability to tie into and enhance Titanic’s rich legacy.”

The Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is open daily at 9 a.m.  Reservations are strongly suggested (many days sell out entirely). Or, passengers may purchase tickets online at www.titanicpigeonforge.com or by phone at 800-381-7670.

Ackermann PR leading the way in regional tourism

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Dec 272010
 

Tourism transition: Survey shows that times, they are a changin’

By BOB MAYES
Managing Editor, The Mountain Press

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. – Dec. 26, 2010 — Laura Hall grew up in Canada, then moved to Florida, married and now has a 9-year-old son.

When her sister, who also lives in Florida, proposed a family reunion in eastern Tennessee as winter was approaching, Laura and her husband Andy and son Ansley came on board.

Rick Laney (right) shoot a segment with Aiden Eads and Christine Eads for an upcoming Travel Channel show about the Great Smoky Mountains Region

“I was hoping for mountains, scenery and snow, and I got mountains, scenery and snow,” said Hall, whose family was visiting the Sevier County from Palatka, near St. Augustine, for the first time. “There was lots of snow, especially when we were coming through the national park.”

The Halls are typical of what the Ackermann public relations firm found when it did an independent survey to find out trends about the Smoky Mountains. Ackermann found that what Bob Dylan first sang about in 1964 rings true: The times, they are a changin’.

What Ackermann, headquartered in Knoxville, didn’t know was how much, and the agency wanted to find out the latest trends on tourism in the Smoky Mountains — one of things Ackermann learned was that a large percentage of visitors surveyed were coming here for the first time.

The year-long survey was conducted from spring 2007 through spring 2008, in an effort to define what “the Smoky Mountains” meant to tourists.

“The typical tourist to the Smoky Mountain region doesn’t know or care where Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, Asheville, Knoxville or Hendersonville start or stop,” senior account executive Rick Laney said.

“If they travel hundreds of miles by car or by air, they want to take in everything that eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina has to offer.”

In recent months, Laney has consulted and participated in shows for Travel Channel, National Geographic Television, MTV Productions, and countless regional travel shows.

Ackermann estimates the actual number of annual visitors to Sevier County to be just under 11 million. That figure includes visitors from surrounding counties who may come to Sevier to shop, dine out or go to an attraction or show, and then return to their homes the same day.

Laney said there are two primary reasons the times have been changing in Sevier County — and in the Smoky Mountain region tourism industry.

“Number one, we were seeing a different type of tourist,” he said. “We started doing some surveying just in Sevier County, and what we were finding was that at the newer attractions — not just the ones we represent — nearly half, 41 percent, had never set foot in East Tennessee.

“The second part was that we also saw they were not following the typical seasonal patterns. Part of that change was due to changing school schedules and that we have more to offer people in what used to be the ‘off season.’

“With changing school schedules (more regions going to year-round school systems) and with more year-round attractions being built in the region, we have essentially become a year-round destination.”

Among the revelations from the survey:

-  First-time visitors to East Tennessee at the higher-end ($150 and up per night) resorts/lodging equal 41 percent.

-  First-time visitors to East Tennessee at the newer attractions (less than three years old) equal 38 percent.

-  The new visitors are coming from far more affluent ZIP codes (wealthier suburbs of Atlanta, Indianapolis, Nashville, Charlotte, etc.) than in the past.

-  The new visitors are coming in larger groups (averaging 4.8 visitors per group as opposed to the 3.7 overall in this region).

-  January to March traffic from first-time visitors was very heavy when compared to “traditional” vacation timing patterns.

-  A far higher percentage of first-time visitors flew into the area as opposed to driving in.

-  While recent visitation numbers for November 2010 vs. November 2009 were down (Gatlinburg was down 25 percent), the new attractions had double-digit growth (November 2010 vs. November 2009)

-  The new visitors are staying on average just over one additional day per stay.

Laney said first-time visitors do not match the historical demographic profile either — coming from more affluent communities.

“They are looking for a different experience than what Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Sevierville, and the Smoky Mountain region has offered in the past,” he said. “They do not stay stationary, and many of them are arriving by air.”

In just the last five years, Laney said, what was considered the slow season (January through March), is now booming. Whereas the higher-end resorts commonly averaged 30-40 percent occupancy during the slow season, it is now common to see 90-95 percent.

Laney is regularly asked to speak about tourism in the Smoky Mountain Region throughout the Southeast.

The “new” tourist also fits a different financial profile, Laney said. The survey shows that only 4 percent earn under $25,000 per year, while 32 percent earned $50,000 to $75,000 annually and 35 percent earned more than $75,000 annually.

“While we still see heavy activity from our primary feeder markets such as Nashville, Atlanta, Greenville, etc., we are seeing large increases from more distant cities like Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Dallas, Minneapolis, Chicago, Washington, Philadelphia and all parts of Florida,” Laney said. “In the Smoky Mountain region, more than 56 percent of the visitors surveyed were from more than 200 miles (and) nearly 25 percent were from more than 500 miles away.”

Laney said that with the market rapidly changing, businesses that fail to evolve with it will be left behind.

“I see it all as ‘The Smoky Mountain region’ because that’s how our tourists see it,” he said. “They come for the pristine mountains, the wonderful resorts, the premier attractions and to enjoy time with their families.

“In doing so, they go to Townsend, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Knoxville, Sevierville, Asheville, Hendersonville and anywhere else their journeys take them along the back roads of this great area.

“Rarely, if ever, do they stay in one of these areas without venturing out to other destinations.”

Story courtesy of The Mountain Press – read more: The Mountain Press – Tourism transition Survey shows that times they are a changin’

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