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Scott County Tourism Director Brittany Roberston says the county has approximately 30 rental properties being marketed as destinations through online platforms such as Airbnb, Vrbo various websites and social media platforms.

Robertson in April started contacting and encouraging those property owners to meet and coordinate ways to market a growing hospitality sector in the county.

“Our goal was to get some visibility for our properties and let people know that we have them and we have places to stay in Scott County,� Robertson said Thursday during a meeting with four owners who operate tourist rentals in the county.

“We have an influx of people that visit Natural Tunnel, Devil’s Bathtub, and other things like that,� said Robertson, “so now we really want to be able to showcase that we have places and options for people to say when they do visit.�

Husband and wife team Mark and Cameron Jenkins operate the late 19th-century Estillville House boutique hotel in Gate City, and Eddie Skeen rents three cabins in the Nickelsville area - Happy Trails Cottage, Carter Cottage and a house on his Big Creek Farm.

Realtor Alicia Kern operates two properties – Mamaw’s House across from the turnoff from U.S. Route 23 to Natural Tunnel State Park and River Rendezvous on the Clinch River, both south of Duffield.

Ramona Taylor operates what she calls the ‘mom-and-pop� Appalachian Cabins on Fincastle Road near Natural Tunnel. – three cabins build =tm by her father Roy Baker.

A Google search of Airbnb rentals in Scott County brought up 34 specific sites, ranging from boutique hotels and cabins to RVs and apartments.

The trend from B&B to Airbnb

The Jenkins’s, Skeen, Kern and Turner agreed that running a traditional bed-and-breakfast rental involves plenty of effort just for the breakfast part.

“Time consumption,� Mark Jenkins said when asked why the couple switched from bed-and-breakfast to Airbnb.� It was enjoyable but it was time consuming. Breakfast was four hours sometimes. It’s good to talk to people about the area and tell them what you’ve got, but you also have a window that you want to operate with.�

Kern, Taylor and Skeen’s cabins and houses all feature family-sized kitchens with appliances and kitchenware, allowing their guests the option of fixing their own meals if not dining at area restaurants.

“A lot of people, when I opened, were like “Oh, you’re going to have a bed and breakfast,� and I said, “If they want a Little Debbie for breakfast, I’ll give them a box of Little Debbies,�� Kern said with a laugh. “because that was what was in my mamaw’s house and that’s what we had for breakfast.�

Mark Jenkins said a growing restaurant and venue sector in Gate City offers his guests nearby dining options in addition to what they may find near attractions in Scott and neighboring counties.

All agreed that they try to contact their guests before they arrive to familiarize then with the area .

“We don’t have a supermarket, just a Dollar General,� said Skeen, “so I try to notify them in advance depending on their direction so they don’t come in and have to go out again to the market.�

“You almost have to have the exposure of that Airbnb platform or Vrbo,� said Taylor. “If you go with Vrbo, you also have Expedia so it does increase your visibility, I think.�

“After people stay, often they’ll call you about future stays,� Skeen added.

Robertson “It’s such a personalized experience. You’re getting to talk with someone, you’re communicating.�

Why come to Scott County?

Robertson said two Scott County landmarks drive a large part of the county’s tourism traffic – Natural Tunnel and Devil’s Bathtub – but the county is a hub for a range of attractions.

Kern, Taylor, Skeen and the Jenkins’s all said the Carter Fold is a major destination for many of their guests, both U.S. and worldwide, and race weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway also helps fill their properties in the spring and fall.

“With the races, we have people from all over the country,� Skeen said. “We had some from Minnesota this year and one from Canada.�

“I’m booked up already for blue Highway Fest,� Kern said of the annual bluegrass festival held in Big Stone Gap in October.

An eastern North Carolina fishing guide has already booked fifty nights for clients this year to fish for smallmouth bass along the Clinch River, Skeen said.

“We have groups of women stay with us for (Mountain Empire Community College’s) Home Craft Days in October,� added Taylor. “We had a couple from New Zealand who came here just to see the coal trains.�

“There’s a lot of interest in swinging bridges in Scott County,� said Mark Jenkins. “People are amazed at the scenic drives like up Heaven’s View, Tipton Road. We send them up there and they go wild over the views you get.�

“We get a lot of people who come to the area for genealogy research too,� said Cameron Jenkins. “The county has good resources, the historical society, the courthouse and the library. The people are very helpful.�

Skeen’s wife maintains a property in Gate City and gets corporate bookings. A German black lung specialist comes to the U.S. a few months each year and stays there, he added.

“Folks visit their old home place, cemeteries,� said Kern. “It’s people choosing to have these experiences and it’s wonderful that they have a place to come and be able to wake up together, have long talks at night together and all those things and not have someone knock on their hotel door.�

Skeen said a study coordinated by Virginia Tech two years ago showed that tourism and lodging brought $23 million into the county.

“You tell people that number and they say, “No way.� For Scott County, that’s one of the biggest industries in the county.�

“I think there’s probably a lot more people out there we can get that have these unique stories if people just know we’re here,� said Robertson. “The proximity to Bristol and Kingsport really helps us, even to Lee County. Being close enough to those places means you can still drive and experience some of those things or even work but come here and expect some privacy, peace and quiet and a small town atmosphere.�

Opportunities for supporting businesses

“The great thing about the Gate City stays is that we’re really experiencing some growth in the downtown,� said Robertson, “offering more things for people to do when they do come here. Gate City really hasn’t had anything to visit before but I think the growth downtown is helping to facilitate the town as a place to visit.�

“I would love to have someone to do kayak rentals,� Kern said, adding that she would like guests at her River Rendezvous to have the option of kayaking and river-oriented ecotourism.

“With our properties, it can also open up other opportunities for businesses,� Kern said. “With all the other Airbnb’s, that would be something fantastic.�

Then and now

“When I step back and look, and I’ve lived here my whole life, Scott County was not a tourist destination 10 years ago,� said Robertson. “It was a drive-through, a place to stop, get gas, eat and leave. I think we’ve seen a shift in that, and it’s picking up the pace. We’re saying we’ve got places to stay, and now we’ve got to filter in more things to see.�

Robertson sees three-day “stay-and-play’ vacations as well as weeklong destination and exploration vacations as the next step in marketing Scott County’s Airbnb resources.

“That’s what’s so cool about our Airbnb’s are offering,� Robertson said. “You’ve got properties on the river, properties in a downtown setting, properties in the mountains, properties tucked away. Everything has its own vibe and feel and it’s a unique experience for everybody.�

“The big picture is, it’s not just a win for Scott County but Southwest Virginia as a whole because we are so closely linked. You can stay in one county and visit all the amenities of other ones too. Of course, we want to push ours and what we have, but when we’re all linked together it’s a benefit for everybody.“