Tourism dollars show double digit increase for second year

Tourism in Tennessee saw another record year of visitor spending in 2023. New data from Tourism Economics and the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development shows that the state received $30.6 billion in direct visitor spending and saw 144 million visitors in 2023. This marks a 6.2% increase from 2022 and follows two consecutive years of double-digit growth. Visitors spent  an average of $84 million each day in 2023, and that in turn created $3.2 billion in direct state and local tax revenues. The report also said that visitor spending sustained one of every 24 jobs in the state.