CLARKSVILLE

Montgomery County ranks second-highest of all Tennessee counties for tourism growth

From staff reports
The Leaf-Chronicle
  • Direct travel spending increased 9.12% over 2017, for a record-high of $244.7 million.
  • The state hit a record-high $22 billion in domestic and international travel spending, up 6% from 2017.

Montgomery County saw the second-highest growth rate in tourism spending of all 95 Tennessee counties during 2018.

Direct travel spending in the Clarksville area increased 9.12 percent over 2017, for a record-high of $244.7 million. 

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and state Department of Tourist Development Commissioner Mark Ezell said the state hit a record-high $22 billion in domestic and international travel spending, up 6 percent from 2017. Travelers in Tennessee spend an estimated $60 million per day.

Hundreds of people turned up for Jazz on the Lawn at Beachaven Winery  and Vineyards on Saturday, June 8, 2019.

“Tourism is Tennessee’s second-largest industry,” said Kyle Luther, Visit Clarksville Board of Directors Chairman, in prepared comments. “The state’s growth has outpaced the nation for several years and 2018 was no exception.

"Locally, all of the Visit Clarksville staff have worked hard to achieve and maintain strong growth. We are thrilled to see the culmination of our efforts and our robust contributions to the local and state economy,” Luther said.

Data from the U.S. Travel Association report showed local tourism industry payroll increased to more than $48 million. Local tax revenues from tourism spending increased to $4.6 million.

“This terrific news should not be surprising to anyone,” said County Mayor Jim Durrett. “As we add venues and attractions to our community, people become more interested in what Montgomery County has to offer.

"The numbers show that investing in our community pays for itself and provides dividends in many ways," he said. "Also, our visitors bureau does an excellent job promoting Clarksville and Montgomery County. Tourists visit to see what we have and enjoy the community because of our amazing people."

“This increase in direct tourist spending is great news for our community,” Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts said. “This shows that our investment in parks and facilities like the Wilma Rudolph Event Center, Liberty Park, Fort Defiance, Heritage Park and the Customs House Museum — to name just a few — is really paying off.

"The great work that goes into creating, maintaining and programming our recreation facilities does double duty by making our community more interesting for residents and by attracting a growing number of visitors,” Pitts said.

Tourist Development Commissioner Mark Ezell, Visit Clarksville Sales Director Frances Manzitto, Gov. Bill Lee and Visit Clarksville Executive Director Theresa Harrington at the governor’s announcement of the 2018 economic impact of travel on Tennessee.

Theresa Harrington, Visit Clarksville executive director, credits much of the growth to the hard work and dedication of her staff.

“Most of our marketing efforts happen outside of the community – recruiting sports events and group tours, and all of the advertising and public relations we do – people in Clarksville don’t often see that, by design,” she said.

“It’s a long-term game, an investment. We might not see the results of things we do today for four or five years, or longer. But, we’ve kept hammering away and been consistent in telling our story and showcasing our amenities and facilities to many different audiences. That has made the difference,” Harrington said.

Top 5 in Tennessee

The top five highest-growth counties for 2018 were:

►Rhea County, $39.7 Million, 9.17% increase

►Montgomery County, $244.7 Million, 9.12% increase

►Sevier County, $2.45 Billion, 7.97% increase

►Blount County, $407.8 Million, 7.91% increase

►Cocke County, $50.9 Million, 7.44% increase

“We constantly hear from visitors — whether they’re traveling for business, leisure or coming specifically to an event — how beautiful our city is,” Harrington said.

“It’s something we who live here can take for granted if we’re not careful. We can easily focus on what we don’t have, instead of enjoying all the things we do have – and we have a lot to do and enjoy,” she said.

About Visit Clarksville

The Clarksville-Montgomery County Tourism Commission was established by the state of Tennessee in 1979 to positively influence tourism in the Clarksville-Montgomery County area by promoting tourist attractions, hosting conventions, group tours and engaging in large-scale marketing efforts.

In 2015, the organization adopted the Visit Clarksville brand. Visit Clarksville is governed by nine board members and is funded by a portion of the local hotel-motel tax.