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Attendees at a recent conference on sustainable travel in the US have said that the Great Smoky Mountains national park can be a hub for eco-friendly tourism.

Industry figures and local officials who participated in the event said that communities such as Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Cherokee in North Carolina and Tennessee could benefit if the national park is operated and promoted in the right way, the Associated Press reports.

The US government recently announced record spending on America's national parks to help with operations and special projects.

Some $1.5m (£763,000) will go to the Smoky Mountains park and will finance the recruitment of new rangers as well as development of visitor centres and other facilities.

Tennessee governor Phil Bredesen said that tourism can be both successful and sustainable, but only if there is cooperation on federal, state and local levels.

'When it comes to such far-reaching and vital issues as conservation and sustainability, it is really through strong partnerships that we are going to be able to make a real and lasting and positive change,' he said.

The Great Smoky Mountains national park covers some 520,000 acres of land and welcomes around 9.2m visitors every year.

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