Hamilton Co. reaches record high hospitality and leisure industry employment numbers

Picture by Chattanooga Tourism Co. Fall in Chattanooga!

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WDEF) – Hamilton County has set a new all-time record high of 31,300 people are employed in the leisure and hospitality industry as of July 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statics. 

The previous record was before the pandemic.

According to Chattanooga Tourism, in one year Chattanooga hosts more than fifteen million visitors who spend 1.5 billion dollars in one year.

On an average day, that’s roughly forty thousand visitors.

Susan Harris with Chattanooga Tourism said this is because of city’s unique way immersing vistors in Chattanooga living.

“It is distinctive, Chattanooga is its own place. We treat visitors like they are one of us. So, you know, we talk a little bit about the city being aggressively welcoming, but we want to connect our visitors to authentic Chattanooga experiences so people come. We don’t have a specific tourist districts. It’s not a specific place,” said Harris.

Visitors are temporary taxpayers who save every Hamilton County household 8-hundred-68 dollars per year in taxes.