(The Center Square) – Tourism spending in Tennessee fell in 2020 for the first time in 10 years, according to data from the US Travel Association and Tourism Economics.

Tourism spending in Tennessee fell 31.6%, less than the 42% drop nationwide.

Within that drop, there was a 78.7% drop in spending by international visitors in a year that was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions, according to a report compiled by the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development.

The decrease in tourism spending has resulted in a decrease in tax revenue on sales and use throughout the state; the money the state depends on during the budgeting process. During the year, 44% of net jobs in the leisure and hospitality industry were lost.

Overall, there was a $ 4.1 billion drop in gross taxable sales to Tennessee entertainment and hospitality businesses during the year, according to the Tennessee Department of Revenue.

“Tourism is a critical part of our state’s strong economic recovery,” Governor Bill Lee said in a press release. “By working together to support small businesses and drive job growth, we’ll ensure Tennessee continues to be one of the world’s premier travel destinations.”

The hardest hit area of ​​tax collection in the industry was related to accommodation, which fell 41% on the year. Arts, entertainment and recreation fell 31.1%, while food services and drinking places were down 13.4%.

Overall, the industry collected $ 288.6 million less in taxes in 2020 than in 2019, a reduction of 20.8%.

“The decline in state tax revenue on sales and use represented a loss of $ 303 million to the state budget between March and December 2020,” the report says.

While final numbers showed the effect of declining travel, Tennessee travel and tourism was at an all-time high for the first two months of the year, and many outdoor tourist spots saw a boom. strong growth, such as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which had a record 12 million visitors in 2020.

“Tennessee’s scenic beauty, strong outdoor assets, and fascinating rural and tourist destinations have given it an edge over other states,” said Mark Ezell, commissioner for the Department of Tourism Development, in a press release. “We have seen parts of our state not only survive, but also prosper. Our mission as a ministry is to inspire travel to all 95 counties, and we are committed to restoring economic prosperity to our industry.

Tourism is the # 2 industry in the state and was the # 4 employer in the state in 2020.

While tourism spending was down in most counties in 2020, it was not in all. Campbell, Carter, Cheatham, Crockett, DeKalb, Grainger, Hardeman, Hickman, Johnson, Lake, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Union and Van Buren counties saw their tourism spending increase.

Tourism in Tennessee generated $ 16.8 billion in domestic and international travel spending in 2020, down 31.6% from the previous year, according to new data on the economic impact of the US Travel Association and Tourism Economics. Travel to Tennessee has generated nearly 150,000 jobs and $ 1.4 billion in local and state tax revenue. Despite the impact of COVID-19, efforts to promote outdoor travel opportunities have helped Tennessee surpass the national average drop of 42%.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Department of Tourism Development Commissioner Mark Ezell highlighted efforts to continue the industry’s strong recovery.

“Tourism is an essential part of our state’s strong economic recovery,” Governor Lee said. “By working together to support small businesses and drive job growth, we’ll ensure Tennessee continues to be one of the world’s premier travel destinations.”

“Tennessee’s scenic beauty, outdoor assets, and fascinating rural and tourist destinations have given it an edge over other states,” said Mark Ezell, commissioner for the Department of Tourism Development. “We have seen parts of our state not only survive, but also prosper. Our mission as a ministry is to inspire travel to all 95 counties, and we are committed to restoring economic prosperity to our industry.

Additional highlights from the 2020 report:

In the first two months of 2020, Tennessee’s entertainment and hospitality industry was on a record track.

COVID-19 was the biggest crisis to hit the entertainment and hospitality industry in history.

In 2020, tourism has shifted from business and solo trips to longer, leisure-oriented family trips.

Outdoor attractions have seen historic growth in 2020. For example, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park welcomed a record 12 million visitors.

Fifteen counties in Tennessee saw an increase in travel spending. Grainger, Van Buren, Cheatham, Hickman, Campbell and Union counties saw an increase of more than 5%.

Tourism was Tennessee’s fourth largest employer in 2020.

The state of Tennessee has recorded 75 million visits by people to the country.

Income generated from tourism saved every household in Tennessee $ 550 in state and local taxes last year.

The decline in state tax revenue on sales and use represented a loss of $ 303 million to the state budget between March and December 2020.

the Economic impact on travel report 2020 includes newly expanded county snapshots with additional data that will be available on Tuesday. A new dashboard with county data and comprehensive models of the economic impact of spending by industry will be launched at Governors’ Conference on Tourism and Hospitality September 15-17 in Murfreesboro.

The Tennessee Department of Tourism Development works with the Tennessee Tourism Committee, local convention and visitor offices, chambers of commerce, city and county leaders, tourist attractions, and hospitality industries in all 95 counties to inspire travel around the state. Partners can find toolkits here.

(The Center Square) – Tourism spending in Tennessee fell in 2020 for the first time in 10 years, according to data from the US Travel Association and Tourism Economics.

Tourism spending in Tennessee fell 31.6%, less than the 42% drop nationwide.

Within that drop, there was a 78.7% drop in spending by international visitors in a year that was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions, according to a report compiled by the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development.

The decrease in tourism spending has resulted in a decrease in tax revenue on sales and use throughout the state; the money the state depends on during the budgeting process. During the year, 44% of net jobs in the leisure and hospitality industry were lost.

Overall, there was a $ 4.1 billion drop in gross taxable sales to Tennessee entertainment and hospitality businesses during the year, according to the Tennessee Department of Revenue.

“Tourism is a critical part of our state’s strong economic recovery,” Governor Bill Lee said in a press release. “By working together to support small businesses and drive job growth, we’ll ensure Tennessee continues to be one of the world’s premier travel destinations.”

The hardest hit area of ​​tax collection in the industry was related to accommodation, which fell 41% on the year. Arts, entertainment and recreation fell 31.1%, while food services and drinking places were down 13.4%.

Overall, the industry collected $ 288.6 million less in taxes in 2020 than in 2019, a reduction of 20.8%.

“The decline in state tax revenue on sales and use represented a loss of $ 303 million to the state budget between March and December 2020,” the report says.

While final numbers showed the effect of declining travel, Tennessee travel and tourism was at an all-time high for the first two months of the year, and many outdoor tourist spots saw a boom. strong growth, such as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which had a record 12 million visitors in 2020.

“Tennessee’s scenic beauty, outdoor assets, and fascinating rural and tourist destinations have given it an edge over other states,” said Mark Ezell, commissioner of the Department of Tourism Development, in a press release. “We have seen parts of our state not only survive, but also prosper. Our mission as a ministry is to inspire travel to all 95 counties, and we are committed to restoring economic prosperity to our industry.

Tourism is the # 2 industry in the state and was the # 4 employer in the state in 2020.

While tourism spending was down in most counties in 2020, it was not in all. Campbell, Carter, Cheatham, Crockett, DeKalb, Grainger, Hardeman, Hickman, Johnson, Lake, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Union and Van Buren counties saw their tourism spending increase.

Tennessee’s tourism industry isn’t just trying to attract more visitors this summer as it recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

State and industry groups are also advertising to bring more workers to fill the nearly 50,000 available jobs at local attractions, hotels, restaurants and other travel-related businesses amid one of the greatest labor shortages in decades.

The Tennessee Department of Tourism Development has partnered with the HospitalityTN business group in an attempt to attract workers to the state’s growing hospitality and entertainment industry. The new “Come Work, Come Play” campaign launched on Thursday urges potential employees across the country to come to Tennessee for a more friendly, music-driven and fun outdoor work and play environment.

“The good news is that demand is really back for tourism and leisure hospitality in Tennessee,” said Mark Ezell, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development, who said travel bookings in May had increased by almost 10% from record highs in 2019. “This has created a hospitality jobs crisis as a result and our supply of workers right now is not meeting the demand that businesses need. “

Ezell said the shortage of workers in the hospitality industry could be one of the largest in state history, with many restaurants and other businesses forced to limit hours of operation due to lack of workers available to staff their operations.

Tennessee’s tourism industry, which reached more than $ 23 billion in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic, is the state’s second-largest industry behind agriculture. Last spring, when the pandemic shut down most travel and forced the closure of most schools and many businesses, employment in the hospitality and recreation industry in Tennessee fell last year by 126,000 jobs from March to April. Since then, more than 88,000 of those lost hospitality jobs have returned, but Ezell estimates the state needs up to 50,000 more workers to fully staff and meet growing demand.

Even with the gain of another 3,000 workers in Tennessee’s hospitality industry last month, employment still remains below 40,000 jobs from the level of two years ago, although many tourism companies are now reporting that they are busier than ever.

David Martin, COO of Chattanooga-based hotel chain Vision Hospitality, said employees are in high demand for positions that continue to be added in the industry.

“We still need employees across our organization to fill virtually all disciplines of hotel and restaurant operations,” he said. “The current job market in general is difficult; there are not enough people willing to work when they are paid by the government at a rate higher than historical pay scales. “

The federal government paid unemployed people looking for another job an additional $ 300 a week this year as part of a stimulus package passed by Congress to limit the economic fallout from the pandemic. But those additional federal benefits will end in Tennessee on July 3, reducing unemployment benefits by more than 50% in Tennessee.

Right now, Martin said employers have to use contract labor at a much higher pay scale and often employ less skilled and experienced workers who are less productive, “which adds additional challenges to our business models. endowment “.

At See Rock City atop Lookout Mountain, company president Susan Harris said hiring for the attraction “has been a challenge this spring” and people are still being hired to help staff with the attraction. which promises to be a robust summer season.

“Visits to Rock City Gardens have been very strong in 2021, surpassing 2019 and we expect that to continue throughout the summer,” said Harris. “Families are looking for quality outings and experiences, and the Chattanooga area is a popular destination because of all we have to offer.

Ezell said employers say they are also raising wages for many hospitality jobs. But to fill all the vacancies, the state tourism agency has partnered for the first time with a state trade association in an attempt to recruit workers to fill the positions.

“Our most valuable resource is our people,” said Rob Mortensen, president and CEO of HospitalityTN, the state-trading industry group that helps sponsor the advertising campaign that runs until August. “This administration has grown in many ways over the past year, and this is yet another example of our governor and his team going beyond the call to action.”

Marketing agency VMLY & R created a digital campaign as part of the first such joint workforce development effort between the state government and a trade association. The ads promote the benefits of working in the Tennessee hospitality industry and will run in key Tennessee and out-of-state markets that show the greatest propensity for offshoring including Austin, Dallas, Las Vegas, Chicago , San Francisco, Miami, Charlotte, Atlanta, Orlando, New Orleans, Milwaukee and Washington DC

According to US Travel, 38% of Americans start their careers in a travel-related job. available work and sheer size.

The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development said Thursday that employment in all industries increased by 5,000 jobs in May. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained stable at 5%, which was still lower than the comparable unemployment rate of 5.8% for the United States as a whole.

In the 12 months ended May 2020, non-farm employment in the state increased by 231,500 jobs. The leisure and hospitality sector has grown the fastest at 24.1% in the past year.

In Georgia, the unemployment rate fell last month by two tenths of a percentage point to 4.1% with the addition of 7,000 more jobs despite a slight decline in the size of the workforce. State.

“Although the unemployment rate has continued to decline over the past 13 months, the focus should not be on the rate,” Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said. “We have a serious workforce problem which is reflected in the monthly decline in the workforce. With the number of jobs listed in Employ Georgia combined with the number of employers I hear daily who are struggling to find employees, we must see our workforce strength increasing dramatically. “

Contact Dave Flessner at [email protected] or 423-757-6340

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, (WKRN) – Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Tennessee generated billions of economic impact from tourism.

Now the industry that has been hit hard is facing a resurgence with more and more people wanting to get out and travel.

Tourism and Development Commissioner Mark Ezell said visitor spending in Tennessee before the pandemic exceeded $ 24 billion.

But early last year… the industry was forced to shut down.

A loss of tens of thousands of jobs according to the Ministry of Tourism Development.

Some tourists from Tennessee said their motivation for coming here ranged from road trips to people who wanted to take advantage of the more relaxed COVID-19 guidelines.

“Really relaxed COVID guidelines have helped… yes, we feel like it’s normal now,” said Lori Loomis, a tourist from Rhode Island.

Justin Rhoades, a tourist from Illinois said, “We are from Illinois. They have much stricter guidelines there, so… we’re fed up. “

Department of tourism officials said people are already booking conventions, trips and hotels to come to Tennessee. In fact, said Commissioner Ezell in April, attendance from visitors from Tennessee had returned to pre-January 2020 pandemic levels.

But concerns remain about the return of people to work to do the tourism and hospitality jobs which represent a large part of the state budget.

“What we know we need to do is make sure we have a workforce available and ready to help us because people want to travel. And this summer in particular, we’re looking for the middle of Tennessee to explode with travelers and tourists, but we have to make sure that the people there are prepared to help these businesses, ”Ezell said.

NASHVILLE, Tenn, (WKRN) – Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tennessee generated billions in economic impact from tourism.

Now the industry that has been hit hard is facing a resurgence with more and more people wanting to get out and travel.

Tourism and Development Commissioner Mark Ezell said visitor spending in Tennessee before the pandemic exceeded $ 24 billion.

But early last year… the industry was forced to shut down.

A loss of tens of thousands of jobs according to the Ministry of Tourism Development.

Some tourists from Tennessee said their motivation for coming here ranged from road trips to people who wanted to take advantage of the more relaxed COVID-19 guidelines.

“Really relaxed COVID guidelines have helped… yes, we feel like it’s normal now,” said Lori Loomis, a tourist from Rhode Island.

Justin Rhoades, a tourist from Illinois said, “We are from Illinois. They have much stricter guidelines there, so… we’re fed up. “

Department of tourism officials said people are already booking conventions, trips and hotels to come to Tennessee. In fact, said Commissioner Ezell in April, attendance from visitors from Tennessee had returned to pre-January 2020 pandemic levels.

But concerns remain about the return of people to work to do the tourism and hospitality jobs which represent a large part of the state budget.

“What we know we need to do is make sure we have a workforce available and ready to help us because people want to travel. And this summer in particular, we’re looking for central Tennessee to just explode with travelers and tourists, but we have to make sure that the people there are prepared to help these businesses, ”Ezell said.

This week kicks off National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW), an annual celebration of the contributions of the US travel industry.

As Tennessee’s # 2 industry, the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development and partners across the state will come together to recognize the “power of travel” and the industry’s vital role in rebuilding our nation. workforce, restoring businesses and accelerating our state’s economy.

“Tennessee is open and eager to welcome visitors again and help with economic recovery, jobs and development in all 95 counties,” said Mark Ezell, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development.

“While we are hopeful, we know there is a lot of work ahead of us. Our industry will be united. National Travel and Tourism Week is an opportunity to remind visitors and residents of the travel industry’s incredible contributions not only to our local economies and workforce, but also to our identity and to the culture of these communities.

TRAVELERS READY TO VISIT AND THE ROLE OF TOURISM IN RECOVERY

• More than two-thirds of Americans are ready to travel and Tennessee ranks among the most coveted domestic destinations (Destination analyst)
• More than seven in 10 U.S. travelers (72%) plan a summer vacation or getaway, up from 37% in 2020 (Destination analyst)
• As of the week of April 26, nearly 88% have at least tentative leisure travel plans right now and over 71% will be taking at least one trip in the next 3 months. In fact, the typical American traveler will likely take close to 2 pleasure trips before August. (Destination analyst)
• Road trips in the United States topped 2019 levels for the first time since the start of the pandemic during the first two weeks of April, but it has since slowed down somewhat in the second half of the month (Arrival)

These data show how essential tourism is to our state’s revenues and to the restoration of communities. While Tennessee’s tourism industry fares better than most due to the state’s various outdoor destinations, many Tennessee residents are left out of work. In March 2021, employment in leisure and hospitality was still down, from 336.1 thousand to 292.9 thousand, a decrease of 12.8% year on year. In comparison, total non-farm employment only experienced a 2.6% drop from 2020. Job losses in leisure and hotels account for 52.6% of net jobs lost in the industry. ‘Status as of March 2020.

TENNESSEE TOURISM OVERVIEW ON THE STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

• Tourism is Tennessee’s # 2 industry
• Tourism in Tennessee marked a decade of growth with a record $ 23 billion in travel spending and $ 1.92 billion in state and local tax revenue in 2019
• Taxpayer money supports jobs, economic development and essential services like education and public safety
• Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tennessee was on track for another record-breaking year in 2020. The travel industry contributes significantly to the US economy and exports and supports millions of hard-working Americans .
• The pandemic is the biggest crisis to hit Tennessee’s entertainment and hospitality industry, accounting for $ 303 million in lost revenue for the state between March and December 2020. (Tennessee Department of Revenue)

Celebrated annually on the first full week of May, National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW) was established by Congress in 1983 to elevate the economic power of travel in the United States. the importance for the US economy of initiating a post-pandemic travel recovery. Please visit ustravel.org/NTTW to learn more.

This week marks the start of national Travel and Tourism The week (NTTW), a annual celebration of the contributions of United States travel industry. As Tennessee’s # 2 industry, the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development and partners across the state will be unite for recognize the ‘power of travel’ and industry critiques role in rebuilding our workforce, restoring businesses and accelerating our state’s economy.

“Tennessee is open and eager to welcome visitors again and contribute to economic recovery, jobs and development in all 95 counties,” said Mark Ezell, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development. “While we are hopeful, we know there is a lot of work ahead of us. Our industry will be united. National Travel and Tourism Week is an opportunity to remind visitors and residents of the travel industry’s incredible contributions not only to our local economies and workforce, but also to our identity and to the culture of these communities.

TRAVELERS READY TO VISIT AND THE ROLE OF TOURISM IN RECOVERY

• More than two-thirds of Americans are ready to travel and Tennessee ranks among the most coveted domestic destinations (Destination analyst)
• More than seven in ten U.S. travelers (72%) are planning a summer vacation or getaway – compared to 37% in 2020 (Destination analyst)
• As of the week of April 26, nearly 88% have at least tentative leisure travel plans right now and over 71% will be taking at least one trip in the next three months. In reality, the typical American traveler will likely take close to 2 pleasure trips by August. (Destination analyst)
• Road trips in the United States topped 2019 levels for the first time since the start of the pandemic during the first two weeks of April, but it has since slowed down somewhat in the second half of the month (Arrival)

These data show how essential tourism is to our state’s revenues and to the restoration of communities. While Tennessee’s tourism industry fares better than most due to the state’s various outdoor destinations, many Tennessee residents are left out of work. In March 2021, employment in leisure and hospitality was still down, from 336.1 thousand to 292.9 thousand, a decrease of 12.8% year on year. In comparison, total non-farm employment only experienced a 2.6% drop from 2020. Job losses in leisure and hotels account for 52.6% of net jobs lost in the industry. ‘Status as of March 2020.

TENNESSEE TOURISM OVERVIEW ON THE STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

• Tourism is Tennessee’s # 2 industry
• Tourism in Tennessee marked a decade of growth with a record $ 23 billion in travel spending and $ 1.92 billion in state and local tax revenue in 2019
• Taxpayer money supports jobs, economic development and essential services like education and public safety
• Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tennessee was on track for another record-breaking year in 2020. The travel industry contributes significantly to the US economy and exports and supports millions of hard-working Americans .
• The pandemic is the biggest crisis to hit Tennessee’s entertainment and hospitality industry, accounting for $ 303 million in lost revenue for the state between March and December 2020. (Tennessee Department of Revenue)

Famous annually the first full the week in May, National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW) has been created by Congress in 1983 To raise the economic Powerful of travel in the we the 38th Annual NTTW (May 2-8) come To a timely moment To to acknowledge the importance To the we economy to initiate a post-pandemic travel recovery. Please visit ustravel.org/NTTW To to learn Following.

Need inspiration to travel? Explore new attractions, hotels, restaurants, outdoor adventures, hidden gems, Tennessee Music Pathways, road trips and unique experiences across the state here.