The quiet leader behind Haywood's tourism success story

Jun. 1—The long-time executive director of the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority has announced she will retire by year's end, closing out an era marked not only by dizzying growth, but an ever-evolving tourism landscape.

During Lynn Collins' 14-year tenure, she led the tourism industry through nothing short of a revolution.

When she took the helm in 2009, AirBNB was a fledgling start up, but is now one the biggest sectors in Haywood overnight stays. Tourism advertising was done in the pages of magazines and newspapers, but now comes in the form of embedded digital video ads and social media influencers. And measuring tourists' habits relied on surveys — now, the TDA tracks tourists' movements through cell phone geolocating.

"It tells us everything we need to know about what you did while you were here," Collins said of the mobile data analytics.

The results during Collins' leadership speak for themselves: room tax collected on overnight lodging has nearly tripled since 2009. It's on track to top $2.5 million this year.

"When you look at the numbers, that tells the story. We've had tremendous growth," said TDA Chairman Chris Corbin of the Waynesville Inn and Golf Resort. "We have come leaps and bounds since Lynn came on. She is leaving us in a really good spot."

Collins' time at the TDA hasn't been all peaches and cream, however. She has led the county's tourism industry through some tough spots: the Great Recession, rockslides blocking I-40, a government shut-down of the Parkway and Smokies, and COVID.

"There are always challenges, and you have to constantly look for ways to adapt and navigate your way through it," Collins said.

Collins is known as a workaholic to those around her. She hasn't taken off more than a couple days at a stretch in her 14 years — let alone a two-week vacation. As for her bucket list of travel spots post-retirement?

"I'm not to the point where I can think about that yet," Collins said. "I have seven months to go and there's a lot to be accomplished between now and then, and that's my focus right now."

Chief on her to-do list before leaving is completing a strategic destination plan to carry Haywood tourism into the next decade. The last strategic plan was crafted in 2014, and every goal on it has now been checked off save one — an almost unheard of feat in the world of strategic plans.

But to Collins, not following through wasn't an option.

"That was the whole point: how do we move forward and have a bigger impact?" Collins said.

As for the one that got away? It was spiked by external forces. The goal of expanding the overnight room tax from 4% to 6% couldn't garner support from Haywood's GOP legislative delegation.

Hello internet

One of Collins chief accomplishments has been leading the TDA through the digital revolution and adapting tourism marketing to the internet and social media era. When she came on board, TDA marketing dollars were mostly spent on magazine ads, radio spots, billboards and the Sunday travel sections of newspapers.

Now, the TDA's digital-centric campaigns push internet ads and videos to individual online users who've searched for trigger words. The TDA has also tapped the well of Instagram and Snap Chat, even engaging bloggers and social media influencers to work behind the scenes.

"If you don't keep up and go with it, you are just not going to be competitive. It is all about being competitive," Collins said.

Despite the burgeoning Haywood tourism industry, Collins has never been one to rest on her laurels. She's always had a penchant for hard cold data to measure the results of how tourism dollars were being spent.

"The bottom line is if you don't spend it wisely, you aren't getting people to come here, and you aren't regenerating the dollars to keep promoting the area and develop product," Collins said.

Ending the infighting

When Collins came on board as the TDA director, the organization was known for tumultuous board meetings, infighting among tourism players and a relentless tug-of-war over tourism dollars and spending. Collins ushered in a new era for the county's tourism authority, uniting stakeholders for the greater good and creating a more professional operation.

One of her accomplishments was bringing fairness and equity to how the TDA dolls out mini-grants to geographic locales within the county. Controversy was once par for the course in the annual exercise of divvying up tourism dollars for festivals and special projects across the county.

Gradually, Collins convinced those vying for a piece of the pie to think collectively.

"That really was the turning point," Collins said.

Now, the process is far more seamless — from a uniform application process, defined benchmarks for awarding money and quantifiable scoring.

It has often been a work in progress, with Collins floating new criteria along the way in response to tourism needs, from TDA sponsorships of events to this year's new capital project fund.

Defying the odds

A real test of Collins' leadership came when COVID hit.

"She called us up and said 'We have to pull the plug right now on marketing.' Within a matter of hours, we cut the flow of advertising dollars immediately. That was a big decision. We could have left all the chips in," Corbin reflected.

Preserving cash flow during the early days of the pandemic allowed the TDA to double-down on a rebranded message, positioning Haywood for what became the biggest success story in tourism's 150-year history in Haywood County.

The new campaign, called Embrace Unusual, marketed Haywood as an escape destination.

"We hit people with 'Come work from your vacation rental balcony in the mountains.' She was on top of it," Corbin said.

The result: 80% growth in overnight tourism in just two years.

"I know a lot of destinations that for all intents and purposes almost closed up shop," Collins said. "How fortunate are we as a destination that we were not only able to keep the majority of our small business open during COVID, but have new businesses open up?"

Retirement may have come sooner for Collins had it not been for COVID.

"She felt it was a duty to see us through the heart of COVID," Corbin said. "Given it was a crisis, she hung in there and helped guide us. We can't thank her enough for that."

Next chapter

Collins has shied away from the limelight during her time with the TDA, preferring to work quietly behind the scenes. She chalks the county's tourism success up to a team effort, from those who work on the front lines of the industry to the marketing agencies hired by the TDA.

"Most importantly, a lot of the credit goes to the great staff and board members. You couldn't do without the countless volunteer hours the board has devoted, or the talents of the staff," Collins said.

Collins has a long view of tourism in Haywood County. She grew up in Clyde, was the marketing director for Ghost Town for almost 10 years during its heyday, and was on the county's first TDA board in the 1980s. She then moved to Florida and served as the tourism director in Polk County, which borders Disney World.

She came back home in the mid-2000s and became the executive director of the Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce before joining the TDA in 2009.

Now, as the TDA begins its search for a new executive director, the million dollar question is whether the pandemic-driven tourism gains can be sustained.

"I think we have a good foundation, but things are still changing. We have a burgeoning vacation rental segment and it's important to keep the pedal down on that," Corbin said. "At the same time, we need to help the hotels get back on their feet."