Crossville native PJ Barnes is the Crossville-Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce’s new Tourism Director.
The Tennessee Tech graduate returns home after a brief stint with the Tennessee Golf Association. Barnes said his familiarity with local attractions was part of the position’s appeal, but he is also interested in helping strengthen the community.
“I love this community,” Barnes said. “I was born and raised here. I went to school here you know, my entire life. Every part of my family is from here. And I really want to shine the light on the things that we have. I want to bring more businesses here. I want to you know, help these business owners.”
Barnes said there has never been a position like his before. He said he sees it as an opportunity to reshape the public image of Crossville and Cumberland County in terms of tourism.
Barnes said supporting local businesses helps people from the community and outside of it. In doing so, Barnes hopes to improve quality of life and help lower the property tax burden on residents.
“Tourism is exciting, and there’s a lot more pros to tourism than there are cons,” Barnes said. “A lot of people have the misconception that’s why prices raise or you know, that’s why roads get more traffic. There’s been a lot of studies done, and tourism is way more beneficial than people think.”
Barnes said Cumberland County ranks 15th amount Tennessee counties for tourism, which has helped keep taxes low. Barnes said this has saved Cumberland County residents over $700 on their property tax bill each year.
Barnes said most people view Tennessee’s big cities as the most notable tourism attractions. Barnes said Crossville’s relatively low prices may draw in more tourists.
“We have a lot of free opportunities with Cumberland Mountain State Park,” Barnes said. “And cheaper opportunities like the Palace Theater and going to watch a show there. You know, the Playhouse is relatively inexpensive, especially when you’re talking about a world renowned rural theater that wins awards.”
Barnes said high quality golf courses in Crossville and Cumberland County are much less expensive too. In addition, Barnes said the small town feel will likely protect the county from becoming as expensive as other popular destinations.