Where else can you visit one of the nation’s top amusement parks, the home of a king and the world’s fastest half mile? Only in Tennessee.
With some of the best outdoor and natural areas, historical sites, and music, sports and arts venues, it’s no wonder millions of people from around the world choose Tennessee for their vacations. In fact, we set a record last year. The Volunteer State is now ranked as one of the top 10 destinations in the country for total travel according to statistics released this week.
Tennessee tourism’s direct domestic and international travel expenditures reached $17.7 billion in 2014, up 6.3 percent from the year before and an all-time high for the state. Tourism-generated jobs topped 152,900, a 2.8 percent increase.
The tourism wealth was shared statewide. All 95 counties in Tennessee had more than $1 million in direct travel expenditures. Nineteen counties saw more than $100 million, and three counties, Davidson, Shelby and Sevier, had more than $1 billion in economic impact each. Knox and Hamilton Counties rounded out the top five in economic impact with travel expenditures just shy of $1 billion.
