Dolly Parton transformed a rural area in East Tennessee into a major tourism draw, a legacy that will live on well after her death on Aug. 25.
The country music and pop culture icon was Dollywood's founder and affectionately known as the theme park's "dreamer-in-chief" who pushed Dollywood beyond a regional attraction. Her theme park, waterpark and hotels in Pigeon Forge inject millions of dollars into local and state economies.
During an ABC News interview with Barbara Walters in December 1982, Parton pitched her dream of building a "Dollywood USA" in the mountains of East Tennessee, where she was born and raised. Parton described her vision of a "fantasy city that's sort of like Disneyland, a mountain Disneyland, like a Smoky Mountain fairyland."
She partnered with Herschend, owner of the Silver Dollar City amusement park in Pigeon Forge, and the park was rebranded as Dollywood in 1986, with Parton owning half and Herschend owning half. That 50-50 business arrangement continues today, with Herschend operating the park.
Pete Owens, Dollywood's marketing and public relations vice president, said Parton "wanted to build a place to create jobs and to provide a place for families to go within the Great Smoky Mountains, because she was proud of where she came from and wanted to share the beauty of the Smokies."
Along with welcoming families to the park for a day of fun and Dolly magic, she wanted to create a stable employment engine for the people of East Tennessee, many of whom live in poverty like Parton once did. A replica of the two-room cabin where Parton was raised is in Dollywood, giving visitors a glimpse into her Appalachian upbringing.
A replica of Dolly Parton's childhood cabin is in the Rivertown Junction section of Dollywood. Photo Credit: Dollywood
Owens, who worked with Parton for nearly three decades, added, "She wanted to provide an opportunity for people who were from here to have a place to work in which they could be proud. And that certainly is what we have tried to do."
Today, Dollywood welcomes about 4 million visitors each year and employs more than 4,000, making it the largest employer in Sevier County, which is also home to parts of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the U.S.
Dollywood's employees (referred to as hosts by Dollywood to emphasize hospitality) receive generous benefits, including paid-for college tuition; free Dollywood admission for dependents and discounted admission for other family members; and access to the Dollywood Family Health Center, which charges employees a copay for basic office visits, x-rays and lab work, even if they aren't insured.
"We try to take care of our folks, and they take care of the folks who come visit," Owens said.
Dollywood welcomes about 4 million visitors per year. Photo Credit: Dollywood
Dolly's impact on Nashville
About 215 miles west of Pigeon Forge, Parton also leaves a large tourism legacy in Nashville, the epicenter of the country music industry.
Caitlin Heimerdinger, the public relations vice president for the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp., said Parton's impact on Nashville's tourism is unrivaled.
"Dolly is fundamental to the story of Music City," she said. "She carried Nashville with her everywhere she went, introducing generations of people around the world to our music and our spirit. There are very few people who have done more to shape how the world sees this city."
In that light, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has proposed to rename Nashville's airport in Parton's honor. The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority will address the naming proposal during its meeting on Sept. 17.
Also this month, Parton's SongTeller Hotel will open in downtown Nashville. According to the hotel's website, one of the hotel experiences will be "9 to 5 Music Moments."
"At the top of every hour, a song from Dolly's extensive library fills the air in the Listening Lobby and surrounding areas of the hotel," according to the SongTeller.
The third floor of the hotel will be the home of Dolly's Life of Many Colors Museum, described as an immersive retrospective of Parton's life.
The hotel and museum are sure to be components of the Dolly-inspired heritage tours that the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development expects to see following Parton's death, similar to those for Elvis Presley in Memphis. The state said tourists already trace Parton's journey to stardom when they visit Tennessee.
"Dolly was life-changing for Tennessee tourism," said Tennessee Department of Tourist Development commissioner Mark Ezell. "As people fell in love with Dolly Parton, they also fell in love with Tennessee -- our mountains, our music, our people and our welcoming spirit."