NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tourism spending in Tennessee reached a record $17.7 billion in 2014 as more than 100 million people visited the state.
The spending represents a 6 percent increase over the previous year, while tourism-related jobs grew by nearly 3 percent to 152,900 positions.
State and local sales tax revenue from the tourism industry were more than $1.5 billion, and international travel increased more than 8 percent to $577 million.
All 95 counties received more than $1 million in direct travel expenditures. Davidson, Shelby and Sevier counties experienced the biggest economic impact related to tourism, with more than $1 billion each.
Gov. Bill Haslam said in a release that the data shows that Tennessee is a “place people from all over the world want to visit.”
