Tourism discusses sports park and motor sports

By Charles Romans

Carter County Times

The Grayson Tourism Board met on February 8 to discuss their budget, expenditures, and plans for the current year.  The minutes from the previous meeting were not read, but rather were deferred until next month’s meeting. Much of the discussion of the budget simply revolved around paying bills and a discussion of the time frame of how money is collected from the different sources that support tourism such as transient tax. Improvements to the walking path at the Sports Park were discussed, as well as paving projects. Local resident David Collier brought flooding issues related to the park’s drainage to the attention of the board, and resolutions to the issue were discussed.

Website improvements were also discussed, with a focus on streamlining website visitors’ experience and showcasing what the city has to offer. Director of Grayson Tourism Lana Axtell presented the board with a schedule of upcoming events for the year which included information about First Fridays and poker runs as well as a new driving trail called Raiders Run. The new trail, one of the first benefits of tourism’s partnership with the Backroads of Appalachia motorsports app, will attract driving clubs along a 125 mile “run” through scenic areas that is expected to yield an influx of tourism dollars. The overall goal of the Tourism Board is to increase tourism through events and amenities the city has to offer, which will benefit both the city and the county as more people travel through, shop, and stay in Grayson and the surrounding areas.

Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com