Stories about the famous Hatfield and McCoy family feud attracts thousands of visitors to Eastern Kentucky every year.

But tourism officials say the historical sites tourists are seeking can be hard to find.

Our Mackenzie Spink tells us how Pike County tourism hopes the Kentucky General Assembly can help add fuel to the growing tourism industry in eastern Kentucky.

People around the world have heard of the Hatfield McCoy feud, but officials say out-of-towners coming to Pike County can easily get lost on their way to the historical sites.

Pardon me, but you got a better chance of seeing God than you do making a cell phone call or your GPS to work.

The cell signal just does not get down in there and people are lost.

They spend most of their time running around looking for.

Besides the stream of visitors to Pike County is only increasing.

According to the marketing director of Pikeville Pike County Tourism.

Tourist spending in the county has increased by more than $30 million from 2017 to 2023.

Our website alone for the tour, which focuses on our region, has had 160,000 views so far this year, 112,000 sessions, almost 100,000 users.

That's a lot of people.

For people wanting to know about the Hatfields and McCoys and other things that we offer in our region.

Officials say the tourism draw of the Hatfield McCoys has a significant impact on the locally owned businesses of Eastern Kentucky Motorcoach Group for three nights and four days will drop $36,000 in my community.

We don't shop at Walmart.

We don't eat at Bob Evans or Golden Corral, we eat at Mom and Pops, and we shop at Mom and Pops.

All of my lodging is locally owned.

There's not one piece of my lodging property that is owned and operated out of state or out of my territory.

So when we speak of mom and pops lifting them up the past four years of Covid, what it has done to them, the bulk industry, the families and SUVs, they are the people that keep that mom and pop alive.

The Pikeville Pike County Tourism Board is asking for increased signage in the U.S.

119, K-Y 319, and K-Y 1056 corridors.

The signs will direct tourists toward sites like the Randolph McCoy House and other areas where the family fighting broke out.

Co-Chair of the committee and Pikeville native Senator Philip Wheeler says he'll support this request during session.

Our committee member, Senator Boswell, who's watching from the sunny state of Florida, says with no pay.

He said, you know, a business without signs is no business.

So very good advice from a very good businessman.

So the extent we can help out, we'll definitely, try to do that this upcoming session.

The Pike County tourism representatives also mentioned that with the increase of tourism in the area, the need for lodging is also growing.

For Kentucky edition, I'm McKenzie Spink.

Thank you.

McKenzie.

And Kentucky as a whole.

Travelers spent over $10 billion in the state last year and almost 4% increase from 2023.