Adventure Tourism Plan for Mcminnville - Warren County, Tennessee Adventure Tourism Plan for Mcminnville - Warren County
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Adventure Tourism Plan for McMinnville - Warren County, Tennessee Adventure Tourism Plan for McMinnville - Warren County March 13, 2018 PREPARED BY Ryan Maloney, P.E., LEED-AP Kevin Chastine, AICP PREPARED FOR McMinnville-Warren County Chamber of Commerce City of McMinnville, Tennessee Warren County, Tennessee Acknowledgments The authors of this Adventure Tourism Plan would CITY OF MCMINNVILLE like to thank the City of McMinnville, Warren County, Mayor - Jimmy Haley and the McMinnville-Warren County Chamber of Commerce for its foresight and support in the WARREN COUNTY development of this plan. Also, we would like to County Executive - Herschel Wells thank the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development for funding through MCMINNVILLE-WARREN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE a2016 Tourism Enhancement Grant. Additionally, President - Mandy Eller we would like to thank the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee State Board of Directors Parks, and the Tennessee Department of Tourism Scott McCord - Chairman Development for their contributions to tourism Autumn Turner - Chair-Elect both regionally and statewide. Finally, we would like Leann Cordell - Secretary-Treasurer to thank City and County leaders, business owners, Shannon Gulick - Immediate Past Chair entrepreneurs, and residents who provided invaluable Craig Norris information through participating in the visioning Waymon Hale session. Rita Ramsey Dayron Deaton Sheri Denning John Chisam Jan Johnson Carlene Brown Anne Vance Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 BASECAMP 4 STUDY AREA 4 CONTEXT 5 ADVENTURE TOURISM 9 READY FOR ADVENTURE 15 HUB 17 DESTINATION 23 ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES 25 WARREN COUNTY IS WATER 27 FIND YOUR DESTINATION 30 ESTABLISH MCMINNVILLE-WARREN COUNTY AS AN ADVENTURE HUB AND DESTINATION 31 EXPAND AND ENHANCE ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES 35 CONTINUE DEVELOPMENT OF SUPPORT SERVICES 37 GET THE WORD OUT 39 PLAN IMPLEMENTATION 41 COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS 41 FUNDING SOURCES 41 END NOTES 43 APPENDIX 1 - STATE PARK AND NATURAL AREAS APPENDIX 2 - FESTIVALS AND TOURISM ACTIVITIES OVERVIEW APPENDIX 3 - HERITAGE TOURISM ACTIVITIES Maps and Figures LIST OF MAPS LIST OF FIGURES MAP 1. MCMINNVILLE-WARREN COUNTY 4 FIGURE 1. MAIN STREET MCMINNVILLE 2 MAP 2. MAJOR POPULATION CENTERS 16 FIGURE 2. SAVAGE GULF NATURAL AREA 3 MAP 3. TOURISM DESTINATIONS 26 FIGURE 3. MAIN STREET MCMINNVILLE 5 FIGURE 4. BARREN FORK AND RAILROAD BRIDGE 7 FIGURE 5. CANOEING THE CANEY FORK 8 FIGURE 6. WINDOW CLIFFS NATURAL AREA 8 FIGURE 7. ROCK ISLAND STATE PARK 17 LIST OF TABLES FIGURE 8. BURGESS FALLS 18 FIGURE 9. SOUTH CUMBERLAND STATE PARK 19 TABLE 1. ECONOMIC IMPACT OF TOURISM: 2013-2016 13 FIGURE 10. FALL CREEK FALLS 20 FIGURE 11. ISHA 21 FIGURE 12. ISHA 21 FIGURE 13. BLACK HOUSE 22 FIGURE 14. BONNAROO 22 FIGURE 15. ROCK AND ROW 2018 POSTER 23 FIGURE 16. PARK THEATER 24 FIGURE 17. HAPPY YAKKER 27 FIGURE 18. HAPPY YAKKER 27 FIGURE 19. MUSKIE FISHING 28 FIGURE 20. BLUEGRASS UNDERGROUND 29 FIGURE 21. AMPHITHEATER AT SWARTHMORE COLLEGE 31 “In Every Walk With Nature One Receives Far More Than He Seeks.” John Muir Executive Summary The McMinnville–Warren County Adventure Tourism Plan has been Theater. For a truly unique experience, listen to your favorite artist 333 feet designed to provide a collective inventory and overview of the natural below ground in the Volcano Room of Cumberland Caverns. resources, cultural resources, events, existing businesses in the study area, and to formalize strategies to enhance and expand the Adventure The opportunities to actively engage the natural beauty as well as the Tourism (AT) industry. A most likely fi rst question is, “What is Adventure cultural heritage, whether through food, music, festivals or heritage sites, Tourism?” The Adventure Travel Trade Association, headquartered in are endless for both resident and visitor to create lasting memories, no Seattle, Washington, defi nes adventure tourism as a trip that includes at matter their desired level of adventure. least two (2) of the following elements: physical activity, natural environment, and cultural immersion. 1 MOVING FORWARD With the numerous resources available within the area, a Within 50 miles of Due to McMinnville-Warren County’s geographic location comprehensive perspective on how to not just utilize, but McMinnville’s Historic on the Eastern Highland Rim and at the foothills of the maximize resources and opportunities for growing adventure Courthouse Square is Cumberland Plateau, natural resources are in abundance tourism requires a focused and directed path. This plan has eight (8) state parks with the Collins, Barren Fork, and Caney Fork rivers, been developed to provide creative broad based strategies, and natural areas, Cumberland Caverns – a United States National Natural considering relevant and factual information,to strengthen three (3) navigable Landmark, and eight (8) state parks/natural areas within 50 and expanded Adventure Tourism as well as business rivers, and over 125 miles. Experiencing the natural beauty of the area can be development in McMinnville-Warren County. The planning miles of trails. experienced by simply driving through the area or by active process began with input through visioning sessions, led by engagement through kayaking, mountain biking, road biking, the McMinnville-Warren County Chamber of Commerce, hiking, rock climbing, or all of the above. with community stakeholders and leaders. Additional information was obtained through discussions with the Tennessee Department of Tourism With a history spanning more than 200 years, a visitor can experience the Development, Tennessee Department of Economic Development, cultural heritage of the area though visiting McMinnville’s oldest residence Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and Tennessee – the 1825 Black House, or Falcon’s Rest, once called the Biltmore of State Parks. Tennessee, or experience music at Main Street Live, a free summer concert series on Main Street. Additional festivals include Smokin’ in McMinnville, a Through visioning and research, four (4) themes or goals developed that Kansas City Barbecue Society sanctioned event and Taste of Underground, lay the foundation for strengthening and expanding Adventure Tourism in a three (3) day food and music event taking place at the restored 1939 Park McMinnville-Warren County. 1 THEME 1: DESTINATION AND HUB With its central location within Warren County at the convergence of THEME 3: STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND TOURISM SUPPORT INDUSTRIES several state and U.S. highways, and the quintessential small town feel Although McMinnville – Warren County touts an abundance of natural and tree-lined Main Street with local shops and restaurants, the City of beauty and potential for outdoor activities, the opportunity for sustaining McMinnville provides visitors all they need to stay and explore the adventure the Adventure Tourism market lies within the industries that provide tourism opportunities within Warren County and the surrounding region. for visitors during their stay. These include food and lodging, but also Conversely, McMinnville’s unique proximity to eight (8) state parks and encompass general retail establishments, as well as retail specifi c to natural areas, all within a 75 minute drive, provides the opportunity for adventure tourism, such as an outfi tters. With the growing adventure visitors to take a day away from a state park and experience Downtown tourism market within this area, the need for support industries such as McMinnville’s shops, food, and experiences not available in a state park. fi shing guides, kayaking guides, and hiking guide services are becoming McMinnville is unique in that it can function, simultaneously as both a more important to sustaining the existing adventure tourism market within hub and destination within Warren County and the surrounding region for McMinnville-Warren County. Adventure Tourism. THEME 2: GET THE WORD OUT For someone to experience a new place they must fi rst know it exists and then know the uniqueness of the place when compared to other places locally, nationally, and globally. This strategy focuses on evaluation of existing marketing efforts and how those may be strengthened as well as exploring new avenues of marketing and promotion with focus given to social media and its wide reaching net of infl uence. This strategy will focus on creating and utilizing adventure tourism specifi c web based resource, developing curated trips to McMinnville-Warren County that simplify a visitor’s decision about what to see and do when in the area, and the use of multiple social media platforms that have a high degree of cross pollination, such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. Getting the Word Out is a foundational strategy to helping people discover and experience McMinnville-Warren County. Figure 1. Main Street McMinnville. Source: McMinnville-Warren County Chamber of Commerce 2 THEME 4: STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND ADVENTURE These four (4) themes or goals encompass market as well as growing adventure tourism in such TOURISM ACTIVITIES numerous and more detailed strategies a way that provides economic benefi t to McMinnville A visitor to McMinnville-Warren County has and action items that provide guidance in – Warren County. numerous choices when it comes to selecting sustaining the existing adventure tourism the tourism activity that aligns with their desired level of adventure and engagement with the natural beauty of the area. A person can walk along the greenways of Downtown