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Tourism director: Russell County tourism impact rose 13.6% to $5.51 million; seeks sponsorship for 2026 event
Summary
Daniel Royce, Russell County tourism director, told the fiscal court the county’s tourism economic impact grew from 2023 to 2024 by 13.6% to $5.51 million, supported 385 jobs and generated substantial state and local tax revenue; he asked the court to consider sponsorship for a June 2026 tournament expecting 4,000–5,000 visitors.
Daniel Royce, director of tourism, presented the county’s 2024 economic-impact figures at the Aug. 11 meeting and asked the fiscal court to consider sponsorship for a large tournament in June 2026.
Royce said the county’s total tourism economic impact grew by 13.6% to $5,510,000 from 2023 to 2024 and that the growth supported 385 jobs. He reported increased labor income to about $9.9 million and said tourism generated approximately $33.8 million in state and local tax revenue (transcript figures as presented by the director). “Simply put, every visitor who comes to Russell County helps shoulder the cost of running our community,” Royce said.
Royce described recent events—including a local "Savor the Summer" event—and told magistrates the county is preparing to host a mission tournament expected to draw 4,000–5,000 visitors from 48 states and two countries in June 2026; hotels and short-term rentals are already receiving bookings. He requested the fiscal court consider sponsorship for the tournament and noted tournament-related costs exceed the grant funding the tourism office has secured (he reported about $70,000 in grants but noted total event expenses exceed that amount). Royce described ongoing efforts to refine visitor-origin data and mentioned software options that would provide more precise visitor analytics.
Magistrates discussed parking and staging for the event—Royce described conversations with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about temporary parking at spoils/overflow areas and the challenges of converting dirt parking to a rain-resilient surface. He said the fairgrounds are being considered as an alternate weigh-in and event staging area to ensure reliable parking and to bring visitors into Russell Springs.
Ending: Royce asked the court to consider sponsorship support at a future meeting and staff said they would take the request under advisement and include it on a future agenda for funding consideration.
