Visitors to Hamilton County generated $1,878,113,288 in spending in 2025, representing a 4% increase over 2024 and outpacing the statewide growth rate of 2.7%, according to newly released data from Tourism Economics and the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.
Statewide, Tennessee’s tourism industry generated a record $32.5 billion in direct visitor spending in 2025 and $3.3 billion in state and local tax revenue. The state’s tourism economy has grown 40% since 2018, nearly double the national growth rate of 22%.
Visitor spending in Hamilton County grew 27.6% during that time, also ahead of the national average, led by increases in lodging. From 2018 to 2025, 19 new hotel properties opened in Hamilton County, adding a little over 2,000 hotel rooms.
“The hospitality industry in Hamilton County continues to play a vital role in our region’s economic growth," said Susan Harris, interim CEO of Chattanooga Tourism Co. "We are fortunate to have so many dedicated and talented partners across our hotels, attractions, restaurants, and small businesses who welcome visitors and fuel our community's continued success.”
By The Numbers:
- Direct visitor spending in Hamilton County generated $117,465,867 in state tax revenue and $75,355,379 in local tax revenue.
- Every day, visitors spend $5,145,516 on lodging, retail, transportation, recreation and dining throughout Hamilton County.
- If it were not for state and local taxes generated by tourism, each household in Hamilton County would pay $1,251 more in state and local taxes.
- Visitor-paid taxes support public education and other critical services across Tennessee.
*Research conducted by Tourism Economics, commissioned by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. The data above highlights the impact of visitors within the incorporated and unincorporated areas of Hamilton County.
“Tennessee is a sales tax state. The quality of our assets – whether that’s live music or entertainment or outdoors – are attractive to visitors,” said Mark Ezell, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. “Every tax dollar captured from an out-of-state visitor is a dollar retained in Tennessee and used for Tennesseans. It’s incredible to see communities understanding the power of visitor spending, and leveraging that spending for the good of their residents.”
2025 Statewide Highlights:
- Visitors spent $89 million per day across the state in 2025.
- Tennessee’s 2.7% year-over-year growth in visitor spending outpaced the national growth rate of 1.9%.
- Fifty-seven of Tennessee’s 95 counties saw year-over-year growth.
- Visitor spending generated $2 billion in state tax revenue and $1.3 billion in local tax revenue.
Hamilton County is part of Tennessee’s Southeast tourism region, where visitor spending reached $2.3 billion in 2025, up 3.5% over 2024 and up 26.2% since 2018.
The 2025 Economic Impact on Travel Report analyzes statewide spending and visitation from domestic and international travelers to Tennessee. The report includes methodology used to determine visitor spending, tax generation, job creation and more. The TN Travel Impact Interactive County Dashboard provides instant access to key metrics, statewide and by county, about the economic impact of travel to Tennessee. All data is sourced from the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and Tourism Economics, with national benchmarks provided by U.S. Travel Association.