New figures are out for just how much Dollywood has grown and what it is doing for the surrounding region. It’s awe-inspiring!
For a while now, people and politicians in Tennessee have been singing the praises of Dolly Parton. That’s beginning to be much easier to understand why. The theme park recently won the highest award from Trip Advisor, beating out Disney World’s Magic Kingdom for the best theme park in North America award. The once regional theme park has also grown into a full-fledge vacation destination. If you’ve read the headline, you know where this is going.
According to the Tennessee Department of Transportation, they’re estimating Dollywood is adding $1.8 billion in tourism dollars to the Tennessee economy. I’m not sure why it’s TDOT instead of a tourism-related department for the state government, but that number is still astronomical. And with Dollywood preparing to announce the most expensive attraction expansion in the history of the park next week, it seems there’s plenty of growth still left to do.
For anyone planning to visit Dollywood, make sure to add time for the tourism industry that is built up all around the theme park. Two cities near Dollywood are both tourist havens. Pigeon Forge is a fantastic mini-Las Vegas strip (minus the casinos) that has putt putt golf, restaurants, hotels, golf carts, and more. Meanwhile, Gatlinburg is a mountain villa only fifteen minutes away that has ski slopes, rental chalets, and even more restaurants.
What an amazing legacy for Mrs. Parton. Dolly made the decision to invest in her hometown and she’s forever changed it with an incredible influx of economic flourishment that is basically all because of her.
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