In a report released this week, Tennessee saw 119 million domestic visitors in 2018, up 5.1% from 113 million the previous year. The state also hit a record-high $22 billion in domestic and international travel spending. Travelers in Tennessee spend an estimated $60 million per day.

Tourism generated over $50 million in new state and local tax dollars in 2018, approximately $25 million of which supports public education. The report’s findings also show tourism’s value to Tennessee taxpayers. Travel in Tennessee generated 189,757 jobs and $1.81 billion in state and local tax revenue. Without tourism, each Tennessee household would have to pay an additional $712 in taxes each year. Those tax dollars support education, health and human services, public safety, business and economic development.

Highlights of the report include:

• $22.02 Billion Travel Expenditures, 6% increase (Source: U.S. Travel Association)
• Growth rate was 20% more than the national average of 4.9%
• 37 Million Domestic Visitors, up 5.1% from 113 Million in 2018, the highest growth in the past 6 years.
• Record Setting – 81.3% of visitors were leisure travelers, an increase of 5.5%
• Daily spending per person – $128 (Source: D.K. Shifflet & Associates)
• Tourism generated 189,757 jobs for Tennesseans, a 2.9% percent growth year over year.
• Travel in Tennessee generated $1.81 billion in state and local tax revenue. (Source: U.S. Travel Association)
• Travel generated tax revenue results in $712 in annual state and local tax savings for the average Tennessee household (Source: U.S. Travel Association, U.S. Census Bureau)
• Travel and Tourism is the state’s second largest industry by employment (Source: U.S. Travel Association)
• In 2018, Tennessee ranked number three, after Pennsylvania and Colorado, for international spending growth over 2017 (Source: Tourism Economics)
• All 95 counties saw an increase in domestic travel spending
• Each county saw more than $1 million in direct travel expenditures in the economic impact of tourism. (Source: U.S. Travel Association)

The report states that the tourism numbers by county will be released next month. However, state officials released to 105.7 News today the basic tourism numbers by counties in the listening area (county level data includes domestic travel only). They are as follows and are ranked by local tax receipts from 2017 to 2018:

CUMBERLAND COUNTY – Local tax receipts (in millions) $5.29 which is a 3.6% increase, expenditures (in millions) $127.80 which is a 5.15% increase, payroll (in millions) $29.99 which is a 5.02% increase, employment (in thousands) 1.09% which is a 1.62% increase, state tax receipts (in millions) $7.36 which is a 3.63% increase.

ROANE COUNTY – Local tax receipts (in millions) $3.66 which is a .64% increase, expenditures (in millions) $71.32 which is a 2.15 % increase, payroll (in millions) $12.47 which is a 2.02% increase, employment (in thousands) .48% which is a negative 1.28%, state tax receipts (in millions) $4.27 which is a .68% increase.

RHEA COUNTY – Local tax receipts (in millions) $2.63 which is a 7.56% increase, expenditures (in millions) $39.73 which is a 9.17 % increase, payroll (in millions) $7.84 which is a 9.03% increase, employment (in thousands) .29% which is a 5.51% increase, state tax receipts (in millions) $2.32 which is a 7.6% increase.

LOUDON COUNTY – Local tax receipts (in millions) $1.52 which is a 5.31% increase, expenditures (in millions) $60.91 which is a 6.89% increase, payroll (in millions) $11.85 which is a 6.76% increase, employment (in thousands) .34% which is a 2.5% increase, state tax receipts (in millions) $2.94 which is a 4.53% increase.

McMINN COUNTY – Local tax receipts (in millions) $1.18 which is a 4.49% increase, expenditures (in millions) $48.35 which is a 6.05% increase, payroll (in millions) $8.41 which is a 5.92% increase, employment (in thousands) .34% which is a 2.5% increase, state tax receipts (in millions) $2.94 which is a 4.53% increase.

PICKETT COUNTY – Local tax receipts (in millions) $1.12 which is a 3.35 % increase, expenditures (in millions) $8.02 which is a 4.9 % increase, payroll (in millions) $1.86 which is a 4.77% increase, employment (in thousands) .47% which is a 3.31% increase, state tax receipts (in millions) $3.71 which is a 5.35% increase.

FENTRESS COUNTY – Local tax receipts (in millions) $.87 which is a .98% increase, expenditures (in millions) $13.02 which is a 2.49% increase, payroll (in millions) $2.22 which is a 2.36% increase, employment (in thousands) .09% which is a .94% decrease, state tax receipts (in millions) $.76 which is a 1.02% increase.

MORGAN COUNTY – Local tax receipts (in millions) $.66 which is a 2.38% increase, expenditures (in millions) $5.21 which is a 3.92 % increase, payroll (in millions) $.62 which is a 3.78% increase, employment (in thousands) .01% which is a .43% increase, state tax receipts (in millions) $.31 which is a 2.42% increase.

BLEDSOE COUNTY – Local tax receipts (in millions) $.55 which is a .20% increase, expenditures (in millions) $3.48 which is a 1.7% increase, payroll (in millions) $.52 which is a 1.57% increase, employment (in thousands) .02% which is a 1.71% decrease, state tax receipts (in millions) $.20 which is a .24% increase.

OVERTON COUNTY – Local tax receipts (in millions) $.52 which is a 2.52% increase, expenditures (in millions) $8.40 which is a 4.05 % increase, payroll (in millions) $1.42 which is a 3.92% increase, employment (in thousands) .05% which is a .56% increase, state tax receipts (in millions) $.51 which is a 2.55% increase.