Petition to Make "Dolly Parton International Airport" a Reality Grows.
- RoadTour.Net Team
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
America, and the world, lost a beloved icon on August 25, 2026, with the passing of Dolly Rebecca Parton at the age of 80. Dolly was far more than a country music superstar. She was a songwriter, actress, entertainer, philanthropist and savvy businesswoman whose influence reached well beyond the music industry. Perhaps most importantly, she was someone who seemed to connect with just about everybody. In an increasingly divided world, Dolly Parton was one of those rare public figures who appeared to be almost universally loved. Her warmth, humor, generosity and unmistakable personality crossed generations, geographic boundaries and political divides. For us at RoadTour.Net, there is another part of Dolly's story that stands out: travel, tourism and entertainment. She just opened a travel center in Tennessee a few weeks ago.
Dolly never forgot where she came from. Her connection to East Tennessee became a major part of her legacy, particularly through Dollywood in Pigeon Forge. What grew around Dolly's vision became far more than a theme park. Dollywood helped make the Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Great Smoky Mountains region an even bigger national tourism destination. Dollywood opened under its current name in 1986, and Dolly's involvement helped transform both the attraction and the surrounding tourism economy. Today, the Dollywood operation is one of Tennessee's signature destinations and a major economic force in Sevier County. That's something we can especially appreciate at Road Tour. We love traveling America, exploring destinations and documenting the places that make different parts of this country special. If you've never experienced Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains, check out our Road Tour videos from the area. It's one of America's great road trip destinations, and Dolly Parton's fingerprints can be found throughout the region.
As enormous as Dolly's entertainment career was, her humanitarian work may ultimately be an equally important part of her legacy. When devastating wildfires struck Sevier County in 2016, Dolly helped establish the My People Fund, which provided financial assistance to families whose homes were destroyed or left uninhabitable. She later contributed to other disaster-relief efforts, including assistance following Hurricane Helene. Then there is Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. What began in East Tennessee in 1995 grew into an international literacy program providing free books to young children. More than 300 million books have been distributed through the program over its lifetime. Think about the impact of that. Millions of children have grown up with books in their homes because Dolly Parton decided she wanted to do something to help. That's a legacy considerably bigger than record sales, awards or celebrity.
Following Dolly's death, a movement to rename Nashville International Airport (BNA) in her honor has exploded in popularity. The Change.org petition to rename the airport Dolly Parton International Airport actually dates back to January 2025. Following her passing, however, support surged. When Road Tour checked the petition at approximately 3:21 p.m. ET on August 25, it had 54,268 signatures. Just two days later, when we checked again at approximately 10:07 a.m. ET on August 27, the number displayed had climbed to 128,292.
That's an extraordinary increase in roughly 43 hours. And this may not remain simply an online petition.
Tennessee State Representative Todd Warner has publicly indicated his intention to pursue the idea legislatively. In a comment posted to the petition, Warner wrote:
“Yes I will definitely introduce legislation to rename the BNA airport Dolly Parton International Airport! Thanks, TW”
Having an elected member of the Tennessee House of Representatives publicly state that he intends to introduce legislation gives the movement another level of significance. What began as an online campaign could potentially become a real proposal before Tennessee lawmakers.
RoadTour.Net strongly supports naming BNA in honor of Dolly Parton. However, we think there's an even better name: Dolly Parton-Nashville International Airport. Keeping Nashville in the name matters. Nashville is an internationally recognized city and one of America's most important tourism and entertainment destinations. Travelers around the world immediately associate Nashville with Tennessee, country music, entertainment and American culture. Removing the city's name entirely from its airport would unnecessarily weaken that geographic connection. Dolly Parton-Nashville International Airport accomplishes both goals. It honors one of Tennessee's most beloved and internationally recognized figures while preserving Nashville's identity in the name of its primary commercial airport. And frankly, it has a nice to ring to it.
Dolly represented Tennessee around the world. She helped build tourism in her home state. She created jobs and businesses. She entertained generations. She helped families recover from disasters. She put books into the hands of millions of children. And perhaps most importantly, she represented Tennessee with kindness.
Airports are gateways to cities and regions. For millions of visitors, BNA is their first introduction to Middle Tennessee and their last glimpse of it before flying home. Dolly Parton-Nashville International Airport would tell travelers exactly where they are while simultaneously honoring someone whose name is recognized around the world. The name would also create a symbolic connection between two of Tennessee's greatest tourism regions. Nashville represents the state's enormous music and entertainment industry, while Dolly's legacy is forever intertwined with East Tennessee, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville and the Great Smoky Mountains.
She belonged to Tennessee, but her influence belonged to the world.
There will never be another Dolly Parton. Her music will continue playing. Dollywood will continue welcoming families. Children will continue opening books from the Imagination Library. Travelers will continue visiting the Tennessee mountains she loved so much. Dolly spent a lifetime entertaining people, building businesses, helping others and giving back to the place she called home. Renaming BNA to Dolly Parton-Nashville International Airport wouldn't encompass everything she accomplished. No airport name possibly could.
But imagine generations from now. Someone books a flight to Tennessee and sees Dolly Parton-Nashville International Airport on the itinerary. A pilot welcomes passengers to Dolly Parton-Nashville International Airport. A child asks a parent, “Who was Dolly Parton?” And another generation gets to hear her story.
For someone whose life inspired millions to dream bigger, that's a pretty fitting way to keep her name traveling. Dolly Parton-Nashville International Airport (BNA). We think Tennessee should make it happen sooner than later!
