Visit My Smokies Sees Record-Breaking Visitor Numbers for Great Smoky Mountains National Park

United States, November 28, 2014 (Newswire.com) - Traditionally, October is known as the second busiest month of the year in the Great Smoky Mountains, thanks to the vibrant fall colors that bring guests and families from all across the country. However, according to Visit My Smokies, this year’s visitation has hit a number that has not been matched in nearly 30 years.

“It is always exciting to see all of the families and guests who travel to the Smoky Mountains to see the fall colors,” said a spokesperson for Visit My Smokies. “That being said, this year has been even more exciting thanks to the increase in the number of visitors. Not only does this show more and more people are enjoying the area, but it also has a strong positive impact on the many businesses and communities that surround the national park.”

From a report posted by the National Park Service, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park hosted a total of 1,261,104 visitors in the month of October. The fourth highest number in the park’s history, the highest record for visitors to the Smoky Mountains in October was set in 1987 with 1.56 million guests.

October is not the only month that has seen a significant increase in traffic. Visit My Smokies notes that every month of 2014 has seen an increase in visitor traffic for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. An increase so significant that there has already been over 8 million guests who have visited the area.

At this rate, the Smoky Mountain vacation experts say they think it is very likely to see the Great Smoky Mountains National Park break their overall visitor record of 10.2 million that was set in 1999.

In addition to the increase in visitors for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Visit My Smokies also reports an increase in traffic to the areas surrounding the park as well, including Gatlinburg, Townsend and Cosby. According to national park officials, these areas have seen an increase in visitor traffic upwards of 73 percent above average.

Established in 2009, Visit My Smokies is the premier Great Smoky Mountain destination lodging website. The program is owned by Sevier County, Tenn., and developed to build revenue, through the promotion of travel and tourism, in relation to Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville area lodging, attractions, dining and shopping. All offices are located at: 125 Court Ave., Suite 102 E, Sevierville, TN 37862.