For the Love of Gatlinburg: S1, E3 — Balancing Progress with Tradition

Chad Netherland, President and CEO of Visit Gatlinburg — which encompasses the Gatlinburg Convention Center, the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce, and the Visitors Bureau — sits down with Tom to share both his personal history with the town and his professional vision for its future.

Chad's connection to Gatlinburg goes back to childhood summers spent visiting his grandparents, who bought land just outside of town after years of family vacations there. A visit to the old Guinness Book of World Records museum downtown sparked a lifelong fascination that eventually led Chad to become an 11-time Guinness World Record holder in martial arts strength — with his photo still appearing on the Guinness website's "apply for a record" page today. Two decades after that first visit, Chad's own records filled a wall in that same downtown museum — and years later, he'd go on to lead the very organization representing the town that started it all

The conversation covers Gatlinburg's remarkable numbers: roughly 4,000 full-time residents hosting more than 10 million visitors a year, over 50 attractions packed into a town just three and a half miles long, and a nearly century-long streak of holding its population steady. Chad discusses the deliberate, community-driven effort to balance new growth — restaurants, nightlife, and larger brands — with preserving Gatlinburg's "mountain village" character, from undergrounding utilities to protecting the arts and crafts community along the Glades Arts & Crafts Loop.

Chad also shares the marketing story behind milestone events like the 50th anniversary of the Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade (now broadcast to over 250 million people) and the unique midnight Fourth of July Parade, plus how Gatlinburg is increasingly reaching new, more diverse audiences as feeder markets like Nashville and Atlanta continue to grow.

• A childhood spark that shaped a career. Chad's first visit to the Guinness Book of World Records museum in downtown Gatlinburg as a kid eventually led him to become an 11-time Guinness World Record holder himself — and, full circle, the president of the organization representing the very town where it all started.

• Astonishing numbers for a town this size. Gatlinburg has around 4,000 full-time residents but welcomes more than 10 million visitors a year — a per-capita visitation rate Chad believes could be a Guinness World Record in its own right.

• Growth with guardrails. Chad describes a small, dedicated group of community leaders actively working to balance new development — restaurants, nightlife, larger brands — with preserving Gatlinburg's "mountain village" feel, resisting oversized or out-of-character construction.

• Infrastructure improvements that matter. The undergrounding of utilities fundamentally changed downtown's look and walkability, and Chad notes plans are underway to continue undergrounding the rest of town, road by road.

• Milestone events reaching global audiences. Both the Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade and the midnight Fourth of July Parade turn 50 next year; the Christmas parade broadcast now reaches an estimated 250 million people across syndicated markets.

• Storytelling as a growth strategy. Chad points to businesses like Crockett's — whose menu is designed as a newspaper telling the story of White Oak Flats, Gatlinburg's pre-incorporation name — as a model for new development that builds authentic local history into its brand.

• A rising wave of new and international visitors. Feeder markets like Nashville and Atlanta continue to drive growth, and Chad notes Fred Dixon — now president of Brand USA, the organization responsible for bringing international travelers to America — got his start in Gatlinburg, where his family owned the Gillette Motel.