Last year, Knox and Sevier County pulled in $3 billion as part of a record-breaking $18 billion state record, according data recorded by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.
Patricia Gray, executive assistant at the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, attributed Knox County’s tourism success to outdoor facilities and recreation like the Great Smokey Mountains National Park and scenic camping sites scattered throughout East Tennessee.
“They do an excellent job of promoting that area, and I think their outdoor sports really contributed to the increase that the area saw last year,” she said.
Though Hamilton County traditionally held the No. 4 spot in travel expenditures, 2014 marked the first year that Knox County broke that ranking. The county also experienced a 6.2 percent increase in tourist expenditure, outranking the previous year by over $50 million.
Here’s a breakdown of how Knox County compared to other areas in the state:
Data courtesy of TN Department of Tourist Development
Other relevant data:
9,110 new jobs were created as result of last year’s tourism boom
Total payroll came to 172.11 million for employees in Knox County.
County Travel Expenditures (in millions)
- Davidon 5,426.62
- Shelby 3,158.9
- Sevier 1,872.22
- Knox 988.05
- Hamilton 983,08
- Williamson 407.46
- Sullivan 340.98
- Blount 330.72
- Rutherford 307.47
- Washington 235.50
The Knoxville mural is proudly showing off different aspects of the beautiful city on Gay Street.
