A key moment in the monthly Franklin Tourism Development Authority meeting was the chairman’s vision for tourism and its future for the town.
It was near the end of the meeting when Tim Crabtree, the TDA’s chair, offered his perspective on how the funding should be used.
He said evaluations of tourism promotion should consider not only visitor numbers but also the quality of events and the overall visitor experience. TDA is funded through the local occupancy tax on overnight lodging.
“I hate the phrase ‘heads in beds,’ and I’ve said it since I’ve been on this board,” Crabtree said. “If we spend $225,000 marketing [our town as] the coolest downtown you could ever come to, this is where you want to travel to, but we don’t put money into prettier banners. If we don’t put money into our events, then what’s the marketing for?”
As stated in earlier meetings, the TDA board should not be an “ATM” for event planners, but wants to ensure the visitor experiences in Franklin are as exceptional as the town’s natural surroundings. In the past, the Franklin town council also requested priorities regarding the visitor experience that the TDA could enhance with investments from its budget.
To that end, during the last fiscal year, the TDA created subcommittee to address how it operates and where improvements could be made.
From long-term plans to concrete projects
Colin McGinnis reported on the subcommittee’s work, saying it is time to move beyond approving broad development goals for Franklin over one-, three- and five-year periods and begin implementing specific projects.
TDA members who are also local business owners were encouraged to choose initiatives they would like to help advance. Potential projects include creating murals, installing gateway signs and making other improvements to the town’s public spaces.
McGinnis said the subcommittee proposed having members work in smaller groups or pairs, follow deadlines and report on their progress during full committee meetings. The approach is intended to turn broad ideas into concrete action.
New banners for different sections of town
One of those concrete plans includes new banners for different areas of Franklin. Proposals included replacing the smaller banners along Main Street and developing a clearer visual identity for the town’s individual districts.
Participants discussed potential banner sizes, colors, fonts, images and district names such as the River District or East Franklin.
The banners are being considered not just as decorative features but also as way-finding tools to help visitors and residents navigate the town more easily.
Funding requests
A long discussion ensued as board members considered a funding request from Macon County Transit, which is seeking $6,000 to support its Appalachian Trail Hiker Route shuttle in spring 2027.
Transit Director Darlene Asher explained that rising costs for fuel, tires, driver wages and bus maintenance are making the route increasingly expensive to operate, despite serving a record number of hikers this year.
After approving $1,000 for the route last year, board members want to understand how a potential $6,000 grant would be spent.
“None of our funding that we get from the state or the federal government will allow us to do this route. So this is a locally-funded route,” Asher said.
The service benefits not only hikers but also the local economy, she said. The free shuttle allows hikers to travel into Franklin, where they can visit shops, grocery stores and restaurants, bringing business to the community.
“Everybody knows prices are going up. I mean, even though we use propane, our propane fuel has gone up. And prices of our drivers went up. Tires are outrageous,” Asher said, explaining the need for additional funding.
The shuttle transported 1,729 people into town this year, compared with 940 passengers in 2025.
Keeping the service free could encourage more hikers to visit Franklin by eliminating the additional $20 to $25 costs.
“That’s money that can be coming into Franklin instead of for transportation,” Asher said. “The hikers love that it was free. I mean, they really couldn’t believe it.”
TDA members generally supported the initiative but requested a clearer explanation of how the grant money would be allocated. A vote on the application is expected at the commission’s next regularly scheduled meeting.
Event accountability
During the transit funding discussion, board members also stressed the importance of detailed reporting for requests and after the events.
Once an event is held, organizers are expected to report how the grant funds were used and provide information on actual expenditures. It would include breakdowns of spending, even receipts, especially when it comes to public funding.
In some cases, discrepancies between expenses listed in grant applications and actual costs could affect decisions about future funding.
New Years Eve to feature two Ruby Drops, and possibly a heated tent
TDA Chairman Tim Crabtree presented a funding request for Franklin’s New Year’s Eve celebration. Organizers plan to hold two Ruby Drops on New Year’s Eve: one at 9 p.m. for families with children and another at midnight, continuing the traditional celebration. They are also considering bringing back carriage rides, weather permitting.
One proposed addition is a large heated tent on Iotla Street, where visitors can warm up and listen to live music. The ruby drop itself will remain at the intersection of Main Street and Philips and Iotla Streets.
Renting the tent has added $7,000 to the event budget. Organizers expect the structure to accommodate several hundred people, depending on the arrangement of tables and chairs.
Franklin’s social media and website see growing reach
In a marketing report, Morgan Stewart of Stewart Communications (owner of this newspaper) reported nearly 300,000 social media post views, up from 175,000 the previous month.
Traffic to Franklin’s official website also increased. Monthly visitors rose from 13,000 to 19,000, while total page views exceeded 31,589, compared with 25,000 the month before.
The most popular sections included the website’s homepage, the PumpkinFest page and content about local activities and events.
Stewart also discussed the need to explore partnerships with social media influencers to promote Franklin, including inviting content creators to attend events such as PumpkinFest.
Influencer partnerships could help the town reach niche audiences and strengthen its social media presence by tapping into the trust content creators have built with their followers.
Finally, the marketing team has worked to highlight Franklin’s image beyond its mountains, waterfalls and outdoor recreation opportunities. Unique promotional opportunities include the town’s cultural and historical heritage with attractions such as the Cherokee Cultural Corridor, gem mining, Nikwasi Mound, Scottish Tartans Museum, and the Women’s History Trail along with local historic sites.
“Franklin has a pitch that is very different from virtually any town in Western North Carolina,” Stewart said.
TDA’s next regularly scheduled meeting will be held Nov. 9 at 5:30 p.m. in the Town Hall Board Room.
