Tourists spent more than $19 billion in Tennessee last year

Gov. Bill Haslam looks on during a press conference at CADAS on Thursday, July 6, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Haslam, along with Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Tom Price, Judge Duane Slone, White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway and recovering opioid addict and mother of three Mallie Moore spoke on the opioid crisis.
Gov. Bill Haslam looks on during a press conference at CADAS on Thursday, July 6, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Haslam, along with Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Tom Price, Judge Duane Slone, White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway and recovering opioid addict and mother of three Mallie Moore spoke on the opioid crisis.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - State officials say tourists spent more than $19 billion in Tennessee in 2016, an increase of 5 percent compared with the previous year.

Gov. Bill Haslam said in a statement that tourism topped $1 billion in state and local sales tax revenue for the 11th consecutive year in 2015, reaching $1.7 billion. That marks a 7 percent increase from 2015.

Haslam also said tourism generated 176,500 jobs in the state in 2016, a 3 percent increase from 2015.

Five counties exceeded $1 billion in travel expenditures last year. They were Davidson, Shelby, Sevier, Hamilton and Knox.

Haslam said Tennessee's tourism industry "continues to produce record results and dedication to boost Tennessee's economy."

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