Suzanne Williams, Executive Director of the Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce, is excited by the news that DeKalb County experienced a 6.5% growth in tourism in 2014 compared to the previous year.
As WJLE previously reported, the Economic Impact of Travel on Tennessee report showed DeKalb County gained a substantial increase of 6.5% in tourism dollars. In this latest report, travel-related expenditures for DeKalb County hit $41.16 million. Tourism also created 270 jobs in DeKalb County with over $7 million (3.6% increase) in travel-related payroll, $5.37 million (6.7% increase) in local tax receipts, and $2.29 million (6.8% increase) in state tax receipts. These figures place DeKalb County third in terms of travel-related expenditures in the 14-county Upper Cumberland region.
“We have been working hard to break the $40 million mark, and it has finally happened,” said Williams. “The economic impact of tourism on DeKalb County is huge. We are so blessed to have Center Hill Lake, Edgar Evins State Park, and the Appalachian Center for Craft, as well as great events such as the Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree and Crafts Festival, Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour, DeKalb County Fair, and other local music and art events. The small town charm, friendly people, and scenic beauty that you find all across the county keep people coming back and make it a desirable place to live, work, play, raise a family, and retire,” she said.
Governor Bill Haslam and Commissioner Kevin Triplett, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, announced during a special event at the Ryman Auditorium on Tuesday that tourism’s direct domestic and international travel expenditures reached $17.7 billion in 2014 in Tennessee, up 6.3 percent, and an all-time high for the state.
Tourism-generated jobs for Tennesseans reached 152,900, an increase of 2.8 percent. State and local sales tax revenue for the industry topped $1.5 billion, up 7 percent over 2013, and the ninth consecutive year tourism topped $1 billion, according to the latest statistics from the 2014 Economic Impact of Travel on Tennessee as reported by U.S. Travel Association.
For the first time in history, travel to Tennessee topped 100 million, achieving 101.3 million person stays, a 5.1 percent increase over 2013. International travel increased 8.4 percent, reaching $576.5 million in economic impact. All 95 counties in Tennessee had more than $1 million in direct travel expenditures, 19 counties saw more than $100 million, and three counties, Davidson, Shelby and Sevier, had more than $1 billion in economic impact. Knox and Hamilton Counties round out the Top 5 with nearly $1 billion in economic impact. Tennessee is ranked in the Top 10 destinations in the U.S. for total travel.
“This increase in tourism across the board is a result of the strategic work of Tourist Development, the Tourism Committee, and the entire tourism and hospitality industry,” Haslam said. “We want Tennessee to be a place people from all over the world want to visit. The data shows that’s happening, and more jobs and $1.5 billion in sales tax revenue is good news for every Tennessean.”
Tennessee’s customer satisfaction landed at an impressive 8.5 out of 10. The satisfaction scores are greater than those of the average U.S. destination.
“Tourists are drawn to Tennessee for our world-renown music, outstanding attractions, stunning scenic beauty,” Triplett said. “But, at the end of the day, people keep coming to Tennessee for our authenticity and exceptional, Southern hospitality. That is the ‘made in Tennessee’ brand delivered to our visitors every day by our communities and partners.”
The Tennessee Tourism Committee, appointed in 2011 by Gov. Bill Haslam, is made up of tourism leaders in both the public and private sectors. TTC is chaired by Colin Reed, Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc., and co-chaired by Jack Soden, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. and Sande Weiss, president of Music Road Resort.
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