Tennessee’s tourism industry posted a record-breaking year in 2025, with visitor spending climbing to $32.5 billion and growth nearly doubling the national average, state officials recently announced.
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Tennessee Tourism Brings in Record $32.5 Billion in Visitor Spending
Tennessee welcomed 150 million visits in 2025, with visitors spending about $89 million per day across the state.
Tourism, the state’s second-largest industry, generated $3.3 billion in state and local tax revenue in 2025, including $2 billion in state revenue and $1.3 billion in local revenue. The increase represents nearly $700 million more in annual taxable revenue for Tennessee compared with 2018.
The state said tourism saves each Tennessee household an average of $1,180 in taxes each year.
The tourism industry also helped support education funding. Leisure and hospitality businesses contributed about $2 billion in state sales tax collections in 2025, with $874 million going directly to the state’s education fund.
Visitors also spent more than the national average on shopping and dining while in Tennessee, particularly at locally owned businesses and local or unique restaurants.
The State says the Great Smoky Mountains National Park continues to play a major role in the state’s tourism industry as the most visited national park in the country. The park remained open for 40 days during last fall’s federal government shutdown after state, local, nonprofit and tribal partners worked together to keep it operating. More than 2.4 million people visited during that period.
The full 2025 economic impact report, including visitor spending data for all 95 Tennessee counties, is expected to be released in September.
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