Membership Policy

Visit Smokies Membership Guidelines & Policies

Welcome to Visit Smokies!
We’re thrilled to partner with your business in promoting the people, places, and experiences that make Western North Carolina—and the greater Smokies region—so special. This guide outlines what your membership includes and how we’ll work together to maximize its impact.

Your Member Benefits Include:

1. Business Listing on VisitSmokies.org

• Your business will be listed with contact info, a description, logo or images, and links to your website or social media.
• Listings appear under relevant categories such as Lodging, Dining, Retail, Services, and Things to Do.
• Listings go live within 7 business days after receiving payment and all required materials.

2. Printed Travel Guide Inclusion

• Members who activate before the annual print deadline will be included in the current year’s directory.
• Members who join after the deadline will automatically be included in the following year’s edition, regardless of renewal status.

3. Social Media Promotion

• All members are guaranteed at least one social media feature per membership year.
• Higher-tier members will receive additional features based on their level, as outlined in their membership tier benefits.
• We will contact you twice to gather content for your feature. If no response is received, we will proceed with a general promotional post or may forfeit the feature if content is not suitable.

4. Access to Visit Smokies Business Connect

• New members are invited to join our private, members-only Visit Smokies Business Connect group on Facebook, where they can network, share updates, and receive insider opportunities and referrals.

5. Visitor Center Promotion & Support

• Our travel counselors at the Visit Smokies Welcome Center will be trained on your business and will begin personally recommending you to travelers right away.
• Your brochures, business cards, rack cards, or promotional materials will be displayed in the visitor center only after your membership is activated.
• If we run low on your materials, a member of our team will contact you directly to request more—ensuring you’re always represented on-site.

6. Marketing Opportunities & Campaign Access

• Members are given early access to participate in campaigns, event listings, print ads, cooperative opportunities, and tourism promotions throughout the year.

Activation & Processing Policies

Membership Start Date

• Your membership year begins the day your payment is received, or when your first installment is completed if on a payment plan.

Website Listing Timeline

• Please allow up to 7 business days for your online listing to be created after receipt of all necessary materials (logo, description, contact info, images, etc.).

While we strive to ensure timely updates and feature rollouts, technical delays or platform outages may impact the delivery of some benefits. We will communicate openly and aim to resolve any issues promptly.

Materials Submission

• Business information, descriptions, and promotional assets must be submitted in digital format.
• Listings and promotions rely on the quality and completeness of your submitted content. 

Printed Materials Deadlines

• Brochure deadlines are firm. To be included, your membership must be active and content must be submitted by the specified date.
• Late memberships will be deferred to the next print cycle, even if the renewal is not completed the following year.
  

Member Responsibilities

Keep Information Up-to-Date

• Members must ensure their business details remain current. Let us know if anything changes—hours, phone numbers, services, locations, or branding.
• If a member becomes unresponsive or inactive, benefits may be delayed or forfeited.

Communicate & Participate

• We rely on timely responses to schedule social media features, renewals, and campaign involvement. Unresponsiveness may result in missed benefits.