Chattanooga Tourism Co. holds 2022 Summit

Hamilton Co. has a billion dollar tourism industry.

Chattanooga,TN – (WDEF)  The Chattanooga tourism company held its annual summit Tuesday afternoon. It’s the largest gathering of tourism industry professionals in the area. Popular travel show host Samantha Brown was the keynote speaker. You may know her from ‘Samantha Brown’s Places to Love’, a long running show on PBS.

This year’s program also included a state of the industry dress by Chattanooga tourism Chief Executive Officer Barry White.

“Tourism annually is at about $1.5 billion. What that means, every day there was about $4.1 million spent in our community, at our businesses. It supports our local businesses. It provides us as residents, you know, more places to enjoy because the money that the visitors come and spend here help support those restaurants that we may not have if they didn’t have visitors and they’re spending money,” said White.

Hugh Marrow is President and CEO of Ruby Falls, he said it is the generational attractions that make the Scenic City resilient and unique.

“Chattanooga has been very fortunate to have legacy attractions. Rock City and Ruby Falls both had been around more than 90 years. They have become generational. So, the great grandparents bring the grandparents, and great grandparents bring the parents, and the parents bring the new children,” said Marrow.  “What this does, it brings a millions of people to our city, which creates a whole new tax base that helps us support our schools, our river, our roads, our bridges, etc. It’s a very important important part of our economy.”

Chattanooga tourism recently hosted Samantha Brown to film a Chattanooga episode of her show that will air sometime in 2023.