Henderson County celebrates increase in tourism during 2018 – WBBJ-TV

HENDERSON COUNTY, Tenn. — One West Tennessee county is celebrating a milestone after tourism increased in the area last year.

Tennessee saw a record-breaking year for tourism in 2018, with around 119 million visitors in the Volunteer State.

Larger cities like Nashville and Memphis helped that boost, but visitors also made stops in more rural areas.

“We have increased our tax revenue by 6.18 percent in the last year,” said Kim Douglass, executive director of the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce.

Douglass says Henderson County brought in one of the largest tax revenue increases in West Tennessee last year.

She highlights two reasons for the increase. The first? Retirees.

“We market to people looking to retire. We want them to move here to the state of Tennessee, especially Henderson County,” Douglass said.

The second is events like the Festival on the Lakes and the Songwriting Legends Series, which highlights music in West Tennessee.

“It brings people in from surrounding counties, within a 50-mile radius, and they enjoy the entertainment, plus they’re stopping to get something to eat on the way in,” she said.

Jamie Simonton, the owner of Stewart’s Coffee Corner in downtown Lexington, says the past year has been especially kind to his business.

“I’d say our business has increased about 30 to 40 percent this year,” he said.

Simonton says the customer service at local businesses gives the county an advantage as well.

“Local businesses, that’s what they have to do is depend on customer service and offer that to compete with your larger corporations,” he said.

The next event they expect to bring in tourists is the Henderson County Fair in September.

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