Friday 29th March 2024
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USDA Grant To Promote Tourism Development For Paris, Henry County

By Shannon McFarlin WENK/WTPR News Director
Paris, Tenn.—Officials with the USDA and the Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce Wednesday afternoon announced a total package of $40,000 which will be used for tourism development and marketing of the local area.
Coming from USDA is a federal investment of a $20,000 Rural Business Development grant which will be matched with $20,000 from local sources including the Chamber, city of Paris, Henry County and the Paris Board of Public Utilities.
Present at the announcement was Jim Tracy, Tennessee Director for Rural Development, along with other officials from the USDA including Joel Howard, Mary Hickman, Sherri McCarter and Tyler Hayes. In the audience was a number of city and county officials.
Joel Howard, USDA Area Director, said, “Paris and Henry County have always been really good partners with us” and noted that when Travis McLeese became Paris-Henry Co. Chamber Director, “We sat down and asked him how we could help you help the community.”
McLeese noted that although Henry Co. is a rural county, it has a high tourism profile. “We’re 28th out of 95 counties in Tennessee in terms of tourism dollars and that is major. We one of the few rural counties that area at the top of that list. We generated $57.26 M in direct tourism dollars, we support 349 tourism jobs and we save each household $794.64 M annually that households would be paying for if it wasn’t for state and local taxes generated by tourism.”
McLeese said the new monies will allow the Chamber to continue to generate videos that talk about and show viewers what the local area has to offer. He showed a new video created by the Chamber which will promote all the shopping opportunities available locally, which follows other videos that have been done on local area in general and the opportunities for eating. The videos already have been getting thousands of views, he said.
The monies also will allow the Chamber to invest in digital advertising and marketing. “Because we are rural, we have to think outside the box about our marketing opportunities and this money from USDA allows us to do that. Thanks to the USDA for investing in us.”
Tracy noted that USDA already has done a lot for the local community, including the water park and splash pad coming to Eiffel Tower Park and the sewer plant in Paris. “We’re really glad to be here in Paris,” he said.
“When rural Tennessee prospers,” he said, “we all prosper.”
Photo: Tennessee Rural Development Director Jim Tracy, left, speaks at Wednesday’s announcement, while State Rep. Bruce Griffey, Chamber Director Travis McLeese and USDA Area Director Joel Howard listen. (Shannon McFarlin photo).

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