Residents know that Chattanooga is a pretty happening place — have you seen our events calendar? But the Scenic City also welcomes millions of tourists every year.

The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development just released the findings from its 2023 Economic Impact on Travel Report, which offers an analysis of spending + visitation patterns from domestic and international travelers.

You can check out statewide tourism numbers with this handy interactive dashboard — but we’re going to dive into the data specifically for our region.

Hamilton County ranked No. 5 for visitor spending compared to all 95 counties. The county generated ~$1.73 billion in direct visitor spending (dollars visitors exchange with businesses) — marking a 6.36% increase from the previous year.

The report estimates that 6,456,519 tourists visited for the day + 4,285,806 visitors stayed overnight in Chattanooga last year.

Impact on Hamilton County residents:

Visitor spending generated $179.37 million in state + local tax revenue
If not for the taxes generated by tourism, each county household would pay $1,205 more in taxes (the statewide average savings per household is $1,161)
Visitor spending directly supported 12,770 jobs

According to report findings, tourists spent the most money last year on food + beverages. | Photo provided by Chattanooga Tourism Co.

Direct visitor spending by industry:

$574.4 million | Food + beverage
$399.3 million | Transportation (ground + air)
$390.2 million | Lodging
$190.1 million | Amusement + recreation
$178.6 million | Retail

On an average day in Chattanooga visitor spending generated:

$4.75 million | Expenditures
$1.24 million | Labor income
$299,459 | State tax collections
$191, 972 | Local tax collections

Bonus: Don’t miss out on the opportunity to weigh in on how tourism impacts you as a resident or local business owner with Chattanooga Tourism Co.’s surveys.