Jackson-Madison County sees spike in tourism
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JACKSON, Tenn.–The Jackson-Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau said Madison County saw an increase of nearly $10 million in tourism related expenditures in 2013. Sparky‘s Pizzeria and Grill Manager Amanda Arnold said business is good. “During ball season during the summer we get a lot of the teams that come from the ball fields,” she said. “We benefit, a lot of the businesses benefit from them.” The Jackson-Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau said Madison County brought in more than $183 million from tourists in the last year. That is up nearly $10 million from the year before. “A lot of that’s due to interstate traffic, corporate, and also the West Tennessee Healthcare Sportsplex,” said Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist. Lori Nunnery, Executive Director of the Jackson-Madison County, Tennessee Convention and Visitors Bureau told the Jackson City Council Tuesday a hotel motel tax that helps pay for the sportsplex will end in Dec. 2016. “If we keep on this schedule that we’ve been keeping on we’re looking for an additional $150,000 to be reverted back to our office,” Nunnery said. Gist said they are considering putting a portion of that money into tourism. Local businesses could benefit. “Being right off the interstate, it’s convenient and we get a lot of new people from like I said from out of state,” said Arnold. The Jackson-Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau said Madison County ranked 12th out of the state‘s 95 counties in money spent by tourists.
