More Than 600

Tourism, Political

Officials Gather

To Study Issue

By KATHY KNIGHT

ACCENT Editor

KNOXVILLE -- What is "sustainable tourism," and why is it so important to be considered now?

These were questions considered by more than 600 tourism professionals and officials meeting on Monday and Tuesday at the Knoxville Convention Center.

Those who attended the conference included tourism directors, chamber of commerce executives, Main Street community leaders, individuals with tourism-type attractions, State Park representatives, U.S. Green Council members, educators and more.

What is sustainable tourism?

"Sustainable tourism" can be defined as sustaining the environment, culture and heritage of a region while at the same time promoting a region's economic growth through tourism.

Taking a look at the historic, cultural and environmental issues of sustainable tourism was the purpose of those attending the two-day inaugural Great Smoky Mountain Summit.

The states of Tennessee and North Carolina came together to honor the 75th anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which will be celebrated in 2009, and to look at sustainable tourism.

Speaking to the attendees, Gov. Phil Bredesen said, "The summit is a great opportunity to raise the level of awareness regarding the importance of protecting these treasured destinations, while continuing to explore sustainable ways of achieving economic growth." He said he hoped people would go home from the conference and be inspired to preserve and protect.

Susan Whitaker, commissioner of Tennessee's Department of Tourism Development, said that the event was "developed with the dual purpose of honoring the 75th anniversary of our National Park and would provide communities with cutting-edge information on the rationale and solutions for implementing sustainable tourism practices."

When asked on Tuesday if she felt the goals of the summit had been fulfilled, Whitaker said, "Absolutely, we have been so pleased by the individuals who have joined us to make presentations at the summit and by the questions and interest of the participants.

"There's no doubt about it, the folks who leave today's conference have been exposed to much information and there's no doubt they will return to their communities and make a difference. Most importantly, the summit is only the beginning."

Many Officials Attend

Others who made remarks at the opening session of the summit included Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.; U.S. Rep. John Duncan, Jr. R-Tenn.; U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, D-N.C.; Dale Ditmanson, superintendent of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park; and John Petersen, president of the University of Tennessee.

Shuler said he felt that people come to this area "because of natural beauty, but stay because of the people." He said, "Senator Alexander and I worked as a team to stop" the 'Road To Nowhere' being constructed "through the Smokies and much can be accomplished by all of us working together."

Superintendent Ditmanson remarked that one-third of the U.S. population resides within a day's drive of the Smokies. "We want people to come help us celebrate our heritage, and it is important to build sustainable tourism practices to protect our air, water, mountains and wildlife."

Alexander said that he was proud of federal grants to the gateway communities of the Smokies, and said that now is the time to address improvements to our environment and to "clean up our front yard."

Topics Discussed

The two-day event featured guests from across the country and dealt with such topics as:

* Why Sustainable Tourism Makes Both Dollars & Sense; Preserve & Protect;

* How to Keep A Region's Sense of Place for Future Generations;

Other topic were: Environmental Sustainability; Communities in Transition -- Private Development; Rural Stewardship: Redefining the Discussion; Energy Efficiency Makes Sense; People & Place: The Essence of Sustainable Tourism; Life on the Farm: The Agricultural Aspect of Sustainable Tourism; Marketing Green: Letting the Traveler Know You Care; Preservation is Sustainability; Communities in Transition -- Public Development; and Bridging the Gap Toward Common Strategies -- What's Next for Sustainable Tourism?

Coming Greeneville Sun articles will look at some of the topics studied by those at the two-day summit.