How come KY didn't... (condo, weekend getaway, work)

[kentuckydad95]

...didn't turn their mountains into a massive tourist trap like Gatlinburg? No, I am not putting anyone down, I just wanna know. Gatlinburg has to bring in multi-millions in tourist revenue. Wonder why KY never jumped on the bandwagon.

[kygman]

Originally Posted by kentuckydad95

...didn't turn their mountains into a massive tourist trap like Gatlinburg? No, I am not putting anyone down, I just wanna know. Gatlinburg has to bring in multi-millions in tourist revenue. Wonder why KY never jumped on the bandwagon.

Having a huge national park next door sure didn't hurt any, did it? lol

[timelesschild]

Eh, the Daniel Boone National Park could be a draw for Kentucky, just as well as the Great Smoky Mountain NP is for TN. This is a really good question - I have wondered myself when Kentucky would capitalize on its amazingly beautiful natural resources.

[Jamie40829]

coal mining. plain and simple.

[katbmom]

I think Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge had alot of help from Dolly Parton, too.

[JMT]

I think it also helped that Gatlinburg is next to a big city, Knoxville, so that there was already a good road network in the area to bring tourists to town. In addition, many of the original condo developments in the mountains catered to people who already lived in the area but who wanted a weekend getaway close by.

Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge were already popular long before Dolly Parton bought the old Silver Dollar City and renamed it Dollywood. But she's certainly contributed to the growth that's taken place in Sevier County in the last 20 or so years (which many of us can't stand, by the way).

For the record, while the Southern Appalachians in NC/TN are higher than the mountains in Kentucky, I think the mountains in Kentucky are just as beautiful. Frankly, a lot of people around here (including me) can't stand the tourist trap nightmare that Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg have become. Other than the tourist dollars, I'm not sure that Kentuckians have any reason to be jealous of Sevier County, Tennessee.

[dixiegirl7]

That part of Kentucky could sure use the revenue, but it would sort of be a shame to turn it into something so touristy. I have not thought of this before though and it does make you wonder why it never happened.

[timelesschild]

I just asked my husband, who grew up in Eastern Tennessee and Southeastern Kentucky.

His take is that Kentucky's mountains are much less dramatically majestic than those of Tennessee and North Carolina. Pine Mountain has some potential in this way, however. He mentioned that the coal mining had something to do with it, as well as the relative isolation of the region.

I agree that it would be a shame to construct anything majorly touristy, as well as applauding the idea of getting something meaningful going for Eastern Kentucky revenue-wise.

[missymomof3]

Originally Posted by katbmom

I think Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge had alot of help from Dolly Parton, too.

That is definately true.

[rnc76]

Originally Posted by timelesschild

I just asked my husband, who grew up in Eastern Tennessee and Southeastern Kentucky.

His take is that Kentucky's mountains are much less dramatically majestic than those of Tennessee and North Carolina. Pine Mountain has some potential in this way, however. He mentioned that the coal mining had something to do with it, as well as the relative isolation of the region.

I agree that it would be a shame to construct anything majorly touristy, as well as applauding the idea of getting something meaningful going for Eastern Kentucky revenue-wise.

That's true. The mountains in East TN/West NC are the largest in the SE. That lends itself to so much more diversity in landscapes, flora and fauna, climate... This uniqueness prompted the creation of the national park. The mountains in Eastern KY, while pretty, are really not unique in terms of beauty. A lot of the southern Appalachians look just as beautiful.

There is a lot more to the Smokies than Gatlinburg. There are areas that are much quieter and less tourist trodden, particularly the NC side. The area along Fontana Lake is beautiful and very isolated.