Our Mantra
Competitive Regional Tourism
Our History
Smoky Mountain Host was established in 1987 by a small group of regional leaders, both public and private, who were committed to establishing an organization that could provide destination marketing, visitor services and industry support for the tourism economy. Those original eleven members, serving as champions for the initiative, were able to establish the public-private partnership, secure a long-term partnership with the state of North Carolina to build the state-owned Visitor’s Center on the main corridor for visitors entering the region from the Atlanta MSA, and make a real contribution to the growth of the tourism industry.
The organization, now over 250 members strong, has been able to secure millions of dollars for destination marketing, influence legislation both on the state and federal levels to support growth in the industry, and led numerous initiatives to spur new product development in the region.
Organizational Goals
- Provide quality information and customer service to visitors at the Visitor Center
- Maintain a viable, effective and research-based regional tourism marketing and multi-media advertising campaign
- Provide effective governmental affairs representation for the region’s tourism industry
- Serve as a resource for the members of the organization
Core Values
- Service
- Integrity
- Diversity
- Excellence
- Inclusiveness
- Progress