MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development reported a record $31.7 billion in visitor spending for 2024, with nearly $4.3 billion of that occurring in the Memphis metro area.
The newly released data highlights that Shelby County alone accounted for $4.2 billion of the spending, making it the second-highest county in Tennessee for visitor expenditures, following Davidson County.
The local tourism industry in the Memphis metro area supports more than 28,000 jobs, providing significant economic benefits to the region.
Additionally, the tourism sector saves Memphis taxpayers over $1,000 annually, underscoring its importance to the local economy.
The substantial visitor spending in the Memphis area reflects the region’s strong tourism appeal and its critical role in supporting local jobs and economic stability.
“I’m so grateful to our amazing tourism and hospitality industry for these remarkable results,” said Mark Ezell, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. “The Tennessee Tourism team has been able to leverage bigger tourism budgets to help grow visitor spending over 36% in these last six years. We are leading the nation as one of just a few states that are aggressively growing tax revenue from non-Tennessee residents to benefit all seven million Tennesseans.”
