KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — As Hurricane Milton barrels across the gulf and prepares to make landfall, Floridians are fleeing to other southeastern states like Tennessee and Georgia.
But the influx of people can affect hotel prices, officials said. And unfortunately, some hotels do price gouge when they know occupancy levels will be high.
Officials said the reasoning behind the price increases isn't always straightforward.
“We do find that during October, it is higher travel demand," said Amanda Marr from the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce. "It is our second busiest month here in the Smoky Mountains. So it does cost a little bit more to stay here. But we’ve got several businesses here that are able to help by offering some discounts for people that are evacuating.”
The high demand right now, aside from those evacuating, could be a reason some prices are high, Marr said. This also can cause issues when folks are trying to book a hotel on their way down.
"Our hotels and our lodging places are seeing some higher occupancy numbers, which can make it a little more difficult when people are trying to evacuate and come up here and haven’t already booked," Marr said.
Marr said the Inn at Apple Valley is one of the hotels in Sevierville that are offering discounts to folks with a Florida ID.
When a storm is on the way, hotels work ever harder, said Jill Thompson, executive director of the Greater Knoxville Hospitality Association.
“We put our hospitality hats on double time," she said. "We always call in extra help, make sure that we’re stocked for items, just try to get ahead of the game. Because we know we’re going to have guests for extended periods of time.”
The association asks their members to be more lenient during times like these, Thompson said.
“A lot of hotels don't allow pets," she said. "We ask that they forgive that situation. We ask that they forgive a lot of different things, like the number of people in the rooms.”
She also said the association strongly discourages price gouging during natural disasters, but unfortunately, it does happen.