Tour operators applaud value, variety of Pigeon Forge

Pigeon Forge is in a trio of cities that motorcoach tour operators say are the top destinations in North America for their groups to “get the most bang for their buck.” Ranked with Pigeon Forge are the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., and the Midwest travel mecca of Branson, Mo. The praise came in the American Bus Association’s annual “Best and the Rest” survey of its members. They were asked to identify the best places for group travel. Results were reported in ABA’s magazine, Destinations. A second Tennessee city, Nashville, also drew high scores. It joined Chicago and Philadelphia as the top three U.S. cities the operators had visited in the past year. (That survey question excluded New York, Branson and Washington because of their perennial popularity.) “This is tremendous validation of what Pigeon Forge offers,” said Joy McNealy, senior sales manager for the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism. McNealy works with motorcoach tour operators throughout the U.S. and Canada. “Our selling points range from Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Dollywood and from theater entertainment to the many lodging, dining and shopping choices available,” she said. “It’s wonderful that so many tour operators recognized in the survey what a value Pigeon Forge is.” McNealy and the city’s tourism department help tour operators plan various itineraries throughout the year that capitalize on seasonal beauty, city-sponsored special events, theater entertainment and other attractions. “We can offer very appealing tours that show off the mountains, present the diversity of Dollywood, allow for shopping and cap everything off with shows at more than a dozen theaters,” McNealy said. “Pigeon Forge really is a great value, and we have created a year-round destination.” The ABA has more than 1,000 motorcoach owner and tour company members in the U.S. and Canada and another 2,500 members who represent travel destinations and other providers of products and services.