The 2022 Economic Impact of Travel on Tennessee report reveals tourism in Washington County, TN generated $305,683,000 in domestic visitor spending, a 9% increase from 2021. The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development released the new data at the industry’s annual Governor’s Conference in Knoxville, and celebrated growth across all 95 Tennessee counties.
“Our efforts to attract new visitors to Johnson City and Washington County continue to add new revenue and jobs for our county and residents,” says Brenda Whitson, Executive Director of the Johnson City Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Year over year, our near double-digit growth is a reflection of the hard work and vision of our city and county leaders as well as the many hardworking professionals in the lodging, dining, retail, and parks and recreation businesses here.”
Visitor spending in Washington County generated $31,179,800 in state and local tax revenue. If it were not for state and local taxes generated by tourism, each Washington County household would pay $568 more in state and local taxes, and visitor spending also supported 2,800 jobs in Washington County.
“Tennessee is thriving as tourism continues to soar, from our large cities to small towns,” said Mark Ezell, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. “Our industry’s hard work is paying off with record levels of visitor spending and significantly outpacing inflation. It is our privilege to showcase these numbers and express our gratitude to our partners, attractions, elected leaders, and visitors who made a record year for Tennessee.”
Statewide, Tennessee tourism generated $29 billion in direct visitor spending and saw 141 million visitors to the state in 2022. Tax dollars generated by tourism support important public services like education, health, and safety.
“As we look at the positive efforts, we’ve made in Johnson City and Washington County this year, I look forward to continuing the good news about tourism’s economic impact here for many years ahead. Visitors are going all out to discover what we offer in visiting here,” concludes Whitson.
