Hamilton County broke another record for visitor spending last year.
Tourists pumped more than $1.8 billion into the local economy in 2024, a 4% bump from the approximately $1.7 billion spent in 2023.
Hamilton County also maintained its No. 5 spot among Tennessee’s 95 counties, lagging behind Davidson, Shelby, Sevier and Knox. Davidson was No. 1 with $11.2 billion. Statewide, tourism spurred $31.7 billion in direct spending in 2024, producing $3.3 billion in state and local taxes.
(READ MORE: Chattanooga gears up for ‘crazy busy’ fall tourism season)
“From recruiting major events like World of Bluegrass to hosting Ironman, we’re putting Chattanooga on the international stage,” Barry White, the CEO of the Chattanooga Tourism Co., said in a press release. “With these and other events, combined with new flight routes, we’re just getting started showing the world what makes Chattanooga a special place to live, work and visit.”
The Chattanooga Tourism Co. receives hotel-motel tax dollars generated in Hamilton County to advertise the region to potential tourists. It’s also charged with attracting major events like Ironman to the Chattanooga area.
Ironman has hosted races in Chattanooga for more than 10 years. In that time, the events have spurred more than $200 million in economic impact in the region, and nearly 170,000 athletes and visitors have experienced the city, officials said. The Ironman triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run.
The Scenic City is also getting ready to host the World of Bluegrass Festival from Sept. 16-20. Tourism officials expect the event will draw 45,000 attendees and produce $30 million in economic impact for Chattanooga.
The Chattanooga Airport, which posted a new record for boardings in 2024 with 557,000 passengers, also recently launched three new direct flights to Newark, New Jersey; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Orlando, Florida, through the low-fare carrier Spirit Airlines. Officials have said they hope the new connections will enhance tourism and improve business travel to the region.
In 2024, visitor spending in Hamilton County generated $113 million in state and $73 million in local taxes, saving residents about $1,232 on their tax bills, according to state data.
In a phone call, White said the agency has been trying to stay true to its advertising plan. Hotel demand in the region outpaced the state and nation at large, he said.
“We compete every single day with every other city and every other country in the world in the grand scheme of things,” White said. “We must continue marketing, staying top of mind in potential visitors’ minds of places to go and places to visit. That’s become a little bit more challenging this year because our travelers are making their decisions on a much shorter time frame.”
People now often make their travel plans two to three days in advance instead of two to three weeks in advance, White said.
“Those decisions are being made last minute, and it’s hard to forecast and predict with that kind of shift,” he said.
Among the seven counties bordering Hamilton County, Meigs saw the highest percentage increase in visitor spending. Tourists spent nearly $11.8 million in Meigs County in 2024, an 11% bump over $10.6 million the prior year.
Kristy Kelly, the president of the Meigs County-Decatur Chamber of Commerce, said the community sits in the corridor between Knoxville and Chattanooga, and officials have made a more intentional effort to market the area to out-of-towners.
“If people are passing through from one major point to the other, we’re a good area just to stop over and spend a few hours or spend a couple days,” Kelly said in a phone call.
Outdoor recreation is a major draw for many visitors, Kelly said, but Meigs also has events and attractions that carry cultural and historical importance. From mid-November to the end of February, about 25,000 sandhill cranes descend on the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in Meigs County, and in January, officials host a festival in honor of the migratory bird.
“It attracts birders from everywhere,” Kelly said about the event. “In years past, there’s been charter buses of people that came in from other states that came in just to see the birds.”
Many people, including travelers from outside the United States, also visit sites recognizing the Trail of Tears, Kelly said, including Cherokee Removal Memorial Park in Birchwood.
The site marks one of the main staging areas for the Trail of Tears and has a memorial wall that pays tribute to the people who died during the trek. Many Cherokee camped there before their trip to the west.
In the early 1800s, the federal government forced Native Americans from their ancestral homes in a march that resulted in thousands of deaths. The deadly journey is now dubbed the Trail of Tears.
Contact business reporter David Floyd at dfloyd@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.
