Impact of Tourism on Tennessee

[HABANERO7]

The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development is one of the leaders among state organizations in the United States tourism industry. Tennessee has an $11.4 billion dollar a year tourism industry, drawing over 43 million overnight and day-trip visitors in 2004.

Tennessee is now the 11th most visited state by U.S. domestic travelers in 2004 up from 12th in 2003.

This link will take you to the data sheet that I pulled all numbers from:

http://www.state.tn.us/tourdev/reports.html

The state likes the take their data and protect it for a while meaning since I don

[qwertycc]

I like how Beale St. isn't counted...

[Bears]

An article on this issue:

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local_...4295030,00.html

Yea I agree that the worlds biggest Putt-Putt is really fun but saying its a top popular tourist attraction in W. TN is a bit exaggerated. Maybe tourists from Germantown, W.Memphis and Desoto but the the real tourists hit Beale n Graceland. I think its clear these rankings are invalid because its hard to tell exactly who the tourists are so all they can do is guess.

Last I heard, Memphis has an estimated 6 million tourists and Tunica has 10 million. ofcourse Tunicas numbers add tourists from memphis and some tourists who go to tunica come to memphis and vice versa. IMO Putt putt is more fun than Graceland neway so id recommend it to tourists

[satalac]

7. Casey Jones Village (Jackson) 750,000

that place always looks dead whenever i'm in jackson. interesting side note, my great grandfather used to work with casey jones. he told my grandfather that casey wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.

[rocky top buzz]

Few things I find interesting about this:

1- Nashville is Number 1 when it comes to tourist spending

2- Nashville is 10 out of 10 on the visited list.

3- If we still had Opryland, I think we all know where Nashville would be (Number 1)

It doesn't surprise me to see East Tennessee atractions at the top. However, if you weren't looking at attractions and just sheer number of visitros for whatever, you'd have Nashville at the top. Although that still probaby wouldn't account for locals. Any way we can get a breakdown of actual visitors by city?

[Rural King]

County #11 - Madison (M) $125,250,000 01.18%

Destination #7. Casey Jones Village (Jackson) 750,000

Metro #6 - Jackson 1.24%

Who would have "thunk" it? I mean these numbers pretty much shock me. CSJ Village out draws Graceland and Grand Old Opry?

I wonder how they count that, do they count all the diners they get a year? Which seems plausibe? If not, thats a really big suprise to me.

Overall though Jackson/Madison County seems to rank pretty high, which is a good thing, if not a little suprising by how high.

I mean I'm not complaining though.

As for Beale Street, I assume its considered a collection of destinations, not a single one, as are the rest of the locals on the list.

# 23 is the TN River Fresh Water Pearl Farm, Museum, and Mini-Theatre in Camden with 318,950 and # 48 is the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville, TN with 148K. Wow both of those draw alot more then I would have figured.

I'm learning all sorts of neat facts from this.

[ricky_the_great]

somehow.. it strikes me as odd that the Memphis Zoo beats out Beale street, and graceland.

[TennBear]

Who would have "thunk" it? I mean these numbers pretty much shock me. CSJ Village out draws Graceland and Grand Old Opry?

Rural King, You know where CSJ Village is and you know it is basically a restaurant and a general store. I would get counted everytime that I go to Memphis, because I always stop for breakfast heading east everytime that I go home. They are also counting all the locals that go in there for meals too. Locals don't really go to either Graceland or Ryman unless they are taking visitors from out of town. But they will go to an all you can eat breakfast bar.

[Bears]

According to the Beale Street website, Beale street has 6 million tourist annually so thats the most visited attraction in TN. Obviously 6 million includes Memphians and recounts visitors, but thats what all these tourists stats do. Look at this site about the visitors that come downtown...

http://www.bealestreet.com/advertise.html

Exaggerated, but its the best they could do.

[Rural King]

Rural King, You know where CSJ Village is and you know it is basically a restaurant and a general store. I would get counted everytime that I go to Memphis, because I always stop for breakfast heading east everytime that I go home. They are also counting all the locals that go in there for meals too. Locals don't really go to either Graceland or Ryman unless they are taking visitors from out of town. But they will go to an all you can eat breakfast bar.

Yeah thats what I figured too and alluded to in my previous post. CSJ Village is popular, and no doubt draws alot of tourists pasing through and travelers (plus alot of locals from the city and region), but I definately agree that the # is inflated. Still looks nice on the list though LOL.

[sleepy]

Last I heard, Memphis has an estimated 6 million tourists and Tunica has 10 million. ofcourse Tunicas numbers add tourists from memphis and some tourists who go to tunica come to memphis and vice versa. IMO Putt putt is more fun than Graceland neway so id recommend it to tourists

It would be interesting to see the total Memphis msa figures, rather than just the Tennessee side of the metro since Tunica is the 3rd largest gambling destination in the US.

[BnaBreaker]

Few things I find interesting about this:

1- Nashville is Number 1 when it comes to tourist spending

2- Nashville is 10 out of 10 on the visited list.

3- If we still had Opryland, I think we all know where Nashville would be (Number 1)

I found this to be really interesting as well...which leads me to wonder, what EXACTLY is being counted as a "tourist" and a "tourist dollar"? Is it anyone visiting the area from out of country? Out of state? Even out of City perhaps? For example, would a person from Franklin going to a Predators game count as a "tourist" to Nashville in these numbers? That's almost what it is sounding like seeing as how Nashville has the most visitors (business and otherwise) and most "tourist" dollars, but only the 10th highest grosing tourist attraction in TN.

[cheeriokid61]

I wonder if people from the city itself going to sports games or attractions are counted in tourist dollars.

[HABANERO7]

It

[mandrws1]

somehow.. it strikes me as odd that the Memphis Zoo beats out Beale street, and graceland.

I get asked about the Memphis Zoo & Aquarium sometimes when I go out of town. I didn't think it was all that special until I took my kids to other city's zoos. We really do have a jewel right in the middle of the city! Being one of a few with pandas also helps the zoo keep its numbers up.

How is Nashville's zoo? I read something recently that they were building a big attraction for giraffes.

[rocky top buzz]

YES... GIRAFFES!!! Actually, I could care less. The Nashville Zoo's logo has giraffes, so I thought they'd always had giraffes... duh! The only zoo I've been to is Zoo Atlanta. Use to go there all the time as a kid growing up in the ATL (well, the burbs). I've never been to Mephis, but I hear it's a top notch zoo for a city of that size...

I see there's been some discussion about Beale street in Memphis as a tourist destination? I would think Nashville's Broadway/2nd avenue district would have to have more tourists the Beale. First off, there's the touristy Wild Horse, several other country music bars, and, let's not for get the 17,000 seat GEC!!! I was down there to see Georgia Tech in the NCAA tourney last spring, and I was amazed how many people were down there when the game let out, and that was at midnight! add that to people going to the GEC for hockey, arena football, circus, etc... and you would have to think 6 mil is on the low end, right? I've never been to Beale, but I don't think the FedEx forum is connected to Beale, is it?

But that of course brings us back to the whole start of this: who and what count as visitors? I tihnk a better determination would be to see hotel numbers for the different area's. Anyway to get those?

[Bears]

I see there's been some discussion about Beale street in Memphis as a tourist destination? I would think Nashville's Broadway/2nd avenue district would have to have more tourists the Beale. First off, there's the touristy Wild Horse, several other country music bars, and, let's not for get the 17,000 seat GEC!!! I was down there to see Georgia Tech in the NCAA tourney last spring, and I was amazed how many people were down there when the game let out, and that was at midnight! add that to people going to the GEC for hockey, arena football, circus, etc... and you would have to think 6 mil is on the low end, right? I've never been to Beale, but I don't think the FedEx forum is connected to Beale, is it?

But that of course brings us back to the whole start of this: who and what count as visitors? I tihnk a better determination would be to see hotel numbers for the different area's. Anyway to get those?

Nashville area has 32,000 hotel rooms and Memphis area has 27,000. Memphis & nashville have a 59% occupancy rate but tunicas is over 90%.

And Beale Street is only a block north of Fedex Forum and is connected by Blues Alley.

[rocky top buzz]

Thanks for the numbers. Now I wonder even more about Tunica and it's impact on Memphis/Tennessee. I personally don't gamble, but know several who do. Nashville folks are split between Tunica and Harrah's in IL. I think Harrahs is a little closer, but who is Tunica really targeting? Are most of the people who go there from Tennessee or elsewhere? One would hope elsewhere. That's the beauty of the sales tax and no income tax!

[ricky_the_great]

YES... GIRAFFES!!! Actually, I could care less. The Nashville Zoo's logo has giraffes, so I thought they'd always had giraffes... duh! The only zoo I've been to is Zoo Atlanta. Use to go there all the time as a kid growing up in the ATL (well, the burbs). I've never been to Mephis, but I hear it's a top notch zoo for a city of that size...

I see there's been some discussion about Beale street in Memphis as a tourist destination? I would think Nashville's Broadway/2nd avenue district would have to have more tourists the Beale. First off, there's the touristy Wild Horse, several other country music bars, and, let's not for get the 17,000 seat GEC!!! I was down there to see Georgia Tech in the NCAA tourney last spring, and I was amazed how many people were down there when the game let out, and that was at midnight! add that to people going to the GEC for hockey, arena football, circus, etc... and you would have to think 6 mil is on the low end, right? I've never been to Beale, but I don't think the FedEx forum is connected to Beale, is it?

But that of course brings us back to the whole start of this: who and what count as visitors? I tihnk a better determination would be to see hotel numbers for the different area's. Anyway to get those?

ya fedex forum is pretty darn close to beale street. after sporting events a lot of people will go to beale.

[Bears]

Thanks for the numbers. Now I wonder even more about Tunica and it's impact on Memphis/Tennessee. I personally don't gamble, but know several who do. Nashville folks are split between Tunica and Harrah's in IL. I think Harrahs is a little closer, but who is Tunica really targeting? Are most of the people who go there from Tennessee or elsewhere? One would hope elsewhere. That's the beauty of the sales tax and no income tax!

Here are the percents of where tourists come from that visit the North River area.

AL 7.82%

AR 18.74%

FL 1.08%

GA 2.52%

IL 5.32%

IN 1.91%

LA 0.55%

MO 7.34%

MS 13.33%

NC 0.55%

OH 1.21%

OK 4.10%

TN 29.16%

TX 1.71%

Other 7.17%

Most people do come from TN, AR, and MS.