KNOXVILLE, TN (September 14, 2023) – The 2022 Economic Impact of Travel on Tennessee report reveals tourism in Knox County generated $1,878,483,900 in domestic visitor spending, a 14% increase from 2021. The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development released the new data at the industry’s annual Governor’s Conference in Knoxville, and celebrated growth across all 95 Tennessee counties. 

“We are proud to be a part of the strong tourism industry here in Knox County,” said Kim Bumpas, President of Visit Knoxville. “The data shows what we already know – that Knoxville is on the map as a premier destination for leisure travelers, meetings and conventions, film crews, sporting events, and more. We couldn’t do what we do without the incredible partnerships we have across the county, throughout the state, and beyond to help visitors experience our nature-loving-adventure-seeking-artsy-kinda-town.”  

“Tennessee is thriving as tourism continues to soar, from our large cities to small towns,” said Mark Ezell, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. “Our industry’s hard work is paying off with record levels of visitor spending and significantly outpacing inflation. It is our privilege to showcase these numbers and express our gratitude to our partners, attractions, elected leaders, and visitors who made a record year for Tennessee.”  

BY THE NUMBERS: 

  • Knox County ranked fourth among the 95 counties in Tennessee. 

  • Visitor spending in Knox County generated $187,899,100 in state and local tax revenue. 

  • If it were not for state and local taxes generated by tourism, each Knox County household would pay $978 more in state and local taxes. 

  • Visitor spending also supported 14,170 jobs in Knox County. 

Statewide, Tennessee tourism generated $29 billion in direct visitor spending and saw 141 million visitors to the state in 2022. Tax dollars generated by tourism support important public services like education, health, and safety. 

The 2022 Economic Impact on Travel Report includes county snapshots, comprehensive models of the economic impact of spending by industry and an online interactive dashboard for the latest state and county information.  

ABOUT TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF TOURIST DEVELOPMENT 
Tennessee is the home of the blues, bluegrass, country, gospel, soul, rockabilly, and rock ‘n’ roll— delivering an unparalleled experience of beauty, history, and family adventure, infused with music that creates a vacation that is the “Soundtrack of America. Made in Tennessee.”   Explore more at tnvacation.com and join other Tennessee travelers by following “TNVacation” on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube, and “Tennessee” on Snapchat. 

TNvacation.com | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Press Website 

ABOUT VISIT KNOXVILLE 
Visit Knoxville (Knoxville Convention and Visitors Bureau) is the official CVB for the City of Knoxville and Knox County. Visit Knoxville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, private company that works together with the community, business leaders and local and state government to further develop Knoxville as a premier leisure, meetings and travel destination. Tourism is the second highest grossing industry in the state of Tennessee. Knoxville/Knox County annually produces over $1 billion in travel spending. For more information, visit visitknoxville.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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Kristen Combs 
Director of Communications 
Visit Knoxville 
865.306.4341 
kcombs@knoxville.org