Meigs County Partners with Tennessee Tech on Tourism Marketing

Group of Tennessee Tech students and interns working on Rural Reimagined project. (Courtesy: Tennessee Tech University)

MEIGS COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF)- Tennessee Tech University has launched a program designed to lift up rural counties.

One such initiative is being developed in Meigs County.

With a population around 13, 000, the county is one of the smallest in the state.

However, Tennessee Tech University as part of their “Rural Reimagined” program, has decided to help design a new logo and help the county’s Chamber of Commerce launch a tourism website.

The school is giving interns a chance to help more than 500 small businesses in rural areas across the state.

Dr.  Michael Aikens, the head of the program, said, “Not only are we helping small businesses, we’re in the agriculture, we’re in the critical infrastructure, water quality, poverty, addiction, the list goes on and on.”

Meigs County Chamber of Commerce President Kristi Kelly said that,

“We are excited to be a part of the branding process with TNTech.  Branding our county will help us market the different areas we have such as our Historic South Meigs, Discover Decatur, and Visit Ten Mile; this is exciting to us in regards to tourism.  We are looking forward to seeing the logos they develop for us and all the ways we can market our quiet lovely county.”

The owners of Euchee Marina in Ten Mile say they have seen encouraging signs over the past few years.

One owener, Mary Watkins, said, “The tourism has gone up since 2020, since we’ve been here. A lot of people visiting in the area. We definitely see a big rise.”

By the end of the Rural Reimagined project, both Tennessee Tech and Meigs County hope to establish multiple must-see destinations within Meigs County. 

Zachary England, a graphic designer with The Chamber of Commerce, said that, 

“Throughout many work sessions between the Meigs County Tourism Committee and TN Tech representatives, the program was able to identify several key assets in Meigs County, TN. Naturally our biggest asset is our county’s shoreline, hence the name “The Shoreline County.” Our waterways are made up of both the Chickamauga Lake and Watts Bar Lake, and the Hiwassee River travels directly through the southern part of our county.”

Another major asset in The Shoreline County is our historic sites and buildings, such as the Henley Mill Bridge or the Cherokee Removal Memorial Park located at Blythes Ferry.”

Dr. Aikens added that Meigs County seems to be ahead of other rural counties in terms of knowing what they can market.

He said, “You have a quite a bit, it’s just that maybe the time hasn’t been taken to really look at that inventory of the assets and all of the different attractions and things that tourists can do, and put it into place.”

For those who call Meigs County home, they want to share its natural beauty with the world.

Watkins said, “Watts Bar Lake, to me, is a great family atmosphere and environment. The lake itself to bring people. It’s great for fishing, for boating, for tubing, sightseeing… There’s a lot of different places to visit.”