NASHVILLE — The economic impact of tourism in Hamilton County neared the $1 billion mark last year, a 5.2 percent increase over 2013 and a new record, Gov. Bill Haslam and state Tourist Development Commissioner Kevin Triplett announced Tuesday.
Statewide, the impact of tourism spending totaled $17.7 billion, a 6.3 percent increase which also broke previous records.
Tobi Kellogg reaches the top of Sunset Rock during a rock climbing outing. Rock climbing is one of several popular outdoor sports in the Chattanooga area.Hamilton County, with attractions like the Tennessee Aquarium, sites on Lookout Mountain and hiking and rock climbing, ranked fifth among the 95 counties with $983.08 million, close behind Knox County with $988.05 million.
Davidson County ranked No. 1 at $5.42 billion. Coming in second was Shelby County with $3.15 billion while Sevier County, a gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains, ranked No. 3 with $1.87 billion.
Haslam and tourism officials announced the figures during a news conference at one of Nashville’s top draws, Ryman Auditorium, the former home of the Grand Ole Opry. They are based on compilations reported by the U.S. Travel Association.
The governor called it “exciting news. Tennessee had $17.7 billion in direct tourism business this past year which was up over a billion dollars. Significantly, our international business was up a lot as well.”
Statewide figures include foreign travellers. Individual county breakdowns do not.
“The good news is Tennessee’s message is getting out there,” Haslam added. “People are seeing this increasingly, increasingly as a great place to visit whether it’s on business or with your family. And those dollars and tourism business mean more sales tax dollars coming into the state to help us do all the different things we do as a state.”
Because sales taxes represent the largest source of revenue for state government, that’s important, Haslam said.
He said “numbers are strong across the state.”
Hamilton County had an estimated 7,230 people employed in tourism-related enterprises in 2014, according to the report. That generated a payroll of $144.94 million. Tourist spending either through leisure or conventions brought in $54.51 million in state sales tax receipts from Hamilton County.
It also brought in $21.48 million in local tax receipts to Hamilton County and cities like Chattanooga.