LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — In 2026, folks no longer escape to consume. Instead, individuals and families circle towns on the U.S. map looking for local history, architecture, social history, and regional storytelling. It’s a trend called cultural and heritage tourism and it’s the topic of March’s Moore County Historical Society meeting held at the Masonic Lodge in Lynchburg on Sunday, March 8.

Moore County native, and Executive Director/CEO of the South Central Tennessee Tourism Association (SCTTA) Ryan French will speak at the March meeting to discuss heritage and cultural tourism’s impact in Lynchburg and across Tennessee, as well as opportunities in and around Moore County.

Lynchburg is surrounded with attractions that check the heritage and cultural box from The Jack Daniel Distillery to the Lynchburg Jail Museum and even the Dan Call Farm.

SCTTA is the organization behind the forward-facing brand, Experience Tennessee. Since 2020, French has led regional tourism efforts across 13 counties — including Moore County — strengthening partnerships with more than 20 local DMOs and launching initiatives such as the Tennessee Whiskey Trailhead Welcome Center and the Tourism Ready program. Under his leadership, SCTTA was named Tennessee’s Small Budget DMO of the Year in 2024, and French was honored as the state’s DMO Director of the Year.

French is a 2004 graduate of Moore County High School, and of the Southeast Tourism Society’s Marketing College and holds the designation of Tourism Marketing Professional (TMP). He is passionate about leveraging cultural and heritage tourism to drive economic growth, preserve community identity, and create meaningful visitor experiences across Tennessee.

The meeting will take place on Sunday, March 8 at 2 p.m. at the Masonic Lodge located along Main Street in Lynchburg. All Historical Society meetings are free and open to the general public. For further information contact Michael Northcutt at mbncutt@yahoo.com or phone 931-434-5797 or George Stone a georgestone@cafes.net or phone 931-581-2621. •

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