Newly released data from Tourism Economics and the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development reveal that Hamilton County generated a record-breaking $1,805,792,800 in visitor spending in 2024, marking a 4.23% increase from the previous year.
"We're thrilled to see Hamilton County hit $1.8 billion in visitor spending — that's a testament to our welcoming residents and hard-working hospitality businesses," said Barry White, Chattanooga Tourism Co. CEO. "From recruiting major events like World of Bluegrass to hosting IRONMAN, we're putting Chattanooga on the international stage. 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 2024 Economic Impact on Travel Report offers a comprehensive analysis of spending and visitation patterns from both domestic and international travelers. It also includes an interactive online dashboard, providing the latest state and county information.
“I’m so grateful to our amazing tourism and hospitality industry for these remarkable results,” said Mark Ezell, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. “The Tennessee Tourism team has been able to leverage bigger tourism budgets to help grow visitor spending by over 36% in the last six years. We are leading the nation as one of just a few states that are aggressively growing tax revenue from non-Tennessee residents to benefit all seven million Tennesseans.”
BY THE NUMBERS:
- Hamilton County ranked #5 among the 95 counties in Tennessee
- Visitor spending in Hamilton County generated $186,403,300 in state and local tax revenue
- Without visitor-paid taxes generated by tourism, each Hamilton County household would pay $1,232 more in state and local taxes
- Visitor spending directly supported 13,061 jobs in Hamilton County
In 2024, Tennessee tourism generated a record $31.7 billion in direct visitor spending and welcomed 147 million visitors to the state. This influx of tourism also contributed $3.3 billion in direct state and local tax revenues. Full details can be found in the statewide press release.
Looking ahead, many tourism highpoints for Tennessee will make it easier to capture in-state and out-of-state visitor value:
- New and expanded flights into Chattanooga from out-of-state markets
- Milestone events like the International Bluegrass Music Association World of Bluegrass
- Programs like the upcoming MICHELIN Guide to the American South will continue to elevate Tennessee's culinary brand