Kingston Springs explores tourism campaign as way to boost town revenue

Kingston Springs officials are exploring a broader tourism campaign as a way to bring more outside dollars into the town and help strengthen its budget without relying as heavily on local taxpayers.

Commissioner Michael Coldwell led the discussion during the Kingston Springs Commission meeting Sept. 17, presenting preliminary research on visitor traffic, feeder markets, demographics and the potential economic impact of tourism.

The town has approximately $60,000 earmarked for tourism-related spending that cannot be used for other municipal needs such as roads or wastewater. Coldwell said the money could be used as part of a broader campaign rather than a single promotional effort.

Coldwell owns his own marketing company, Braintrust. 

During the discussion, officials pointed to tourism as one way to generate revenue from visitors while maintaining Kingston Springs' existing character.

“If you think about this town and what it looks like, and what it looks like in 10 years, we know there's going to be growth,” Mayor Todd Verhoven said. “This is a way that you can collect enough money so we don't have to tax everybody out of this town while still keeping this town this town.”

The presentation also included information on visitor patterns and potential target markets, which officials said could allow the town to focus digital and social media efforts on specific areas rather than conducting a broad campaign.

Coldwell suggested the town's newly formed Friends of Kingston Springs group could potentially provide a home for the tourism effort, possibly through a subcommittee focused specifically on tourism. The nonprofit board has already met twice and currently meets on the third Wednesday of each month.

No action was taken on the tourism proposal. Officials discussed gathering additional information, including hotel and motel tax revenue, as they consider how the town's tourism funds could be used.