Tennessee Department Of Tourist Development

In 2016, Tennessee tourism exceeded $19.3 billion in annual economic impact, a 4.7 percent increase from 2015. Tourism generates 176,500 jobs for Tennesseans and produces $1.7 billion in state and local sales tax revenue. Travel to Tennessee recently topped 110 million person stays, keeping Tennessee in the Top 10 travel destinations in the U.S. for the third consecutive year. The department's marketing activities promote Tennessee to vacationers in the United States as well as internationally. The department also operates 16 Welcome Centers along the interstate highway system in Tennessee. Each of the Welcome Centers is equipped with a toll-free telephone system allowing travelers to make hotel, motel, and campground reservations anywhere in Tennessee, as well as free Wi-Fi. The mission of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development is to motivate travel to and within Tennessee by inspiring enjoyment, creating memories, producing a desire to return, and establishing key long-term relationships that result in visitors becoming residents.