State tourism director: Outdoor assets, low population density offer region leg up in attracting visitors, new residents

Northeast Tennessee’s scenic beauty, outdoor recreation opportunities and low population density position its tourism industry well to recover from the COVID-19 downturn, the state’s Commissoner of Tourist Development said. “When you take counties like Washington, Sullivan, along with Sevier and all of the beauty with our lakes, with our rivers, with our mountains, we really do have an advantage,” Mark Ezell told News Channel 11. “Especially when people are wanting to drive instead of fly. So a lot of folks in this nation can get to Northeast and East Tennessee to enjoy the great outdoors.”