A new study says tourism spending in Tennessee last year grew at twice the overall inflation rate.
The Chattanooga Times Free-Press says the U.S. Travel study shows tourism spending helps support about one of every 20 jobs in Tennessee. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam said Friday that the state’s tourism industry grew by 3.3 percent in 2013 to more than $27 billion.
USA Today estimates that more than 50 million people visit the state annually.
The industry employs 236,200 workers in Tennessee.
Haslam says to sustain and grow that number, the state needs to continue to support taxpayer advertising and marketing campaigns. The governor made the comments to the Governor’s Conference on Hospitality & Tourism.
Haslam says that in a state with no income tax, Tennessee relies heavily on sales and other taxes, and tourism is a prime generator of those revenues.
According to USA Today, the top tourism locations in the Volunteer State are Memphis, Nashville, The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Chattanooga in that order. Middle and West Tennessee are making their living from music tourism— Graceland, Sun Studios and Beale Street continue to bring visitors to the Bluff City, while Nashville leans heavily on the Grand Ole Opry House, Opryland Resort and the Hermitage. Locally, both Jackson and Brownsville are host to high-quality music museums in the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center.
On the eastern side of the state, natural beauty draws travelers in to the Great Smoky Mountains and Chattanooga’s Ruby Falls and Rock City.
