Tennessee tourism generated $29 billion in visitor spending last year, including a record high $1.6 billion last year in Hamilton County, according to a new economic study.
The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development released data Thursday at the industry’s annual Governor’s Conference in Knoxville showing Tennessee attracted 141 million visitors in 2022. All 95 counties saw an increase in visitor spending in 2022, and 63 counties outpaced inflation.
“Tennessee is thriving as tourism continues to soar, from our large cities to small towns,” Mark Ezell, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, said in a statement Thursday. “Our industry’s hard work is paying off with record levels of visitor spending and significantly outpacing inflation.”
The 2022 Economic Impact of Travel on Tennessee report reveals tourism in Hamilton County generated $1,628,952,100 in domestic visitor spending, an 8% increase from 2021. Among Tennessee’s 95 counties, Hamilton County ranked No. 5 in tourism spending, behind only Davidson, Shelby, Knox and Sevier counties.
The study showed visitor spending in Hamilton County generated nearly $167.8 million in state and local tax revenue.