The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development (TDTD) has unveiled the economic impact statistics of tourism in Tennessee for the previous year.

The Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association (NTTA) noted unprecedented visitor spending figures in the region, marking a fourth consecutive record year. As per the NTTA, tourists in Northeast Tennessee spent $927,182,500 in 2024, representing an increase of nearly 7% from the previous year.

“Northeast Tennessee has shown significant progress,” stated Alicia Phelps, Executive Director of NTTA. “This stood as our most successful year on record. We anticipate that within a few years, visitor spending could approach or exceed $1 billion in our area, marking a significant achievement for us.”

Direct visitor spending generated more than $56 million in state tax revenue and almost $36 million in local tax revenue.

“Typically, a Northeast Tennessee resident could save between $300 and $500 annually in taxes,” Phelps explained. “Thus, there’s a financial benefit for local residents. This doesn’t only boost household income but also improves the quality of life in the community.”

In Washington County, the advantages are even greater, with the county ranking 13th out of 95 in Tennessee, according to Brenda Whitson, Visit Johnson City’s Executive Director.

“The report indicates that each taxpayer in Washington County saves over $633 in taxes, thanks to the visitor spending, which is actual money invested locally before the visitors return home,” Whitson noted.

She said there’s only one thing missing from the region from a tourism standpoint: a year-round attraction.

“I don’t know what that is, but that’s the one thing that is missing,” Whitson said. “If we had something that could draw people from all over to come here for multiple visits, on a year-round basis, that would be wonderful for this region as a whole. Oftentimes, you know, it does relate to music and it does relate to being entertained basically.”

Phelps believes the success they’ve had has a lot to do with the increased investment from local governments, and hopes they can see that it’s a sustainable industry that improves quality of life.

“The tourism industry in Northeast Tennessee, we employ close to 7,200 people,” Phelps said. “So that number also grows each time we see the visitor impact, because there’s demand for quality, good-paying jobs with that as well.”

Phelps and Whitson each said that with the return of businesses impacted by Helene and the Speedway Classic, they expect 2025 to break the revenue record for the fifth consecutive year.