A tourism branding and marketing strategy to encourage visitors to the county’s attractions was launched by the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce and partners, said Chamber President and CEO Joe Marchesoni.
As the designated marketing organization for the county, the chamber worked with the South Central Tennessee Tourism Association with a grant from Tourist Development Tax Dollars to develop the Tourism Brand Initiative, Walkinghorsecountry.com.
Then, with the new Chamber alignment formed a new Tourism Committee. “Bedford County implemented the branding and marketing strategy to reach all tourism attractions in the entire county, including the annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, local restaurants, shopping, the Music City KartPlex, the Duck River, and other attractions in Shelbyville, Bell Buckle, Wartrace, and Normandy,” Marchesoni said.
Visitors spent nearly $28 million in Bedford County in 2025, supporting 236 jobs, generating about $8.15 million in labor income and producing more than $2.8 million in combined state and local tax revenue, showed 2025 tourism economic impact data. Tourism spending decreased 2.87% from approximately $28.8 million in 2024 to $28 million in 2025.
“We anticipated a decline in tourism dollars for 2025 due to circumstances beyond our control within the county, Marchesoni said.
“Tourism remains a vital economic driver for Bedford County since those dollars support small businesses, restaurants, hotels, retailers, gas stations and attractions that create jobs and generate tax revenue”, Marchesoni said.. Bedford County and the City of Shelbyville governments, regional tourism partners, and the chamber formed a more unified tourism approach based on economic data, visitor behavior and identified opportunities.
“The chamber and our partners hope our residents will join us and spread the message of Bedford County tourism,” Marchesoni said. “Tourism brings revenue into the tax base and benefits all citizens throughout the county.”
The chamber kicked off a marketing campaign “Walking Horse Country, Explore More” which to date has received 284,900 views.
Additionally, a “hype video” was produced before the annual Celebration. The video reached more than 244,000 views. WalkingHorseCountry.com gives residents and visitors one source to discover Bedford County. Signs, billboards, posters, brochures, magazines and QR codes placed on hotels, airports, parks, business and government offices promote the message.
These materials are distributed at visitor locations and welcome centers within a 200-mile radius. Through its Hey Y’all platform, Experience Tennessee regularly visits Bedford County destinations, attractions and businesses and shares experiences visitors can discover throughout the community. South Central Tennessee Tourism continues engaging with local partners, while Bedford County’s Tourism Committee is working collaboratively to identify opportunities, expand awareness and advance the Walking Horse Country strategy. Another goal is to increase overnight tourists’ visits through additional lodging and promoting experiences to explore communities. The Bedford County Tourism Summit will educate, activate and empower residents to support tourism and tell the county’s story by sharing the WalkingHorseCountry.com website.
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