Loudon businesses rally support for visitor's bureau

It's the start of busy season for John Smook at Tennessee Valley Winery in Loudon County. Wednesday afternoon as he loads up pallets of their varieties in a truck bound for package stores across the area, customers start to flock for tasting and other shopping at the winery store.

While the busy season doesn't have Smook looking for help, it's the slow season that he says the Loudon County Visitor's Bureau has really made a difference for the winery.

"I would say the Visitor's Bureau creates a lot of interest out of state. That's what we want, to bring the people to Loudon County and show them what Loudon County is all about," Smook said.

He estimates about 25% of his customers come in from outside Loudon County.

Now, facing a tight budget year, Loudon County's Visitor's Bureau says they're facing the very real possibility of closing their doors.

Commissioners voted last week to cut their budget. The bureau receives a cut of the county's hotel/motel tax as their funding. What was $.36 of every dollar is now $.29 of each dollar.

Commissioners in favor of the cut say if the bureau is truly bringing more and more people into the county, their bottom line will still grow since they receive a percentage of the hotel and motel stays.

But, businesses in the county are worried the cuts are too dramatic, could cause the bureau to shut down, and will have a crippling effect on tourism revenue in the county.

"I just heard about this last week and I was just shocked," Francie Harkenrider, the owner of the Watts Bar Belle said.

The Belle moved to Loudon from Roane County in part because of what they felt was a stronger tourist economy and better support system.

"The tourism bureau up here has just been awesome," she said. "They have just bent over backwards for us."

The University of Tennessee's most recent data from 2006 shows tourists spent about $40 million dollars in Loudon County during that year. That revenue, is estimated to have saved each household about $50 in county taxes.

"It'd be a crying shame to see that building close," Smook said. "Honestly, that's what I feel."

The county commission is expected to look at the budget and the impact on the visitor's center again in November.