Tag: Memphis Tourism

Tourism jobs have returned to pre-pandemic levels in Memphis, tourism spending is nearly back to pre-pandemic levels across the state, and Shelby County ranked behind Davidson County as the most-visited Tennessee county last year.  

Memphis Tourism and the Greater Memphis Chamber announced Monday that the leisure and hospitality industries here made a “full recovery” from job losses associated with the Covid-19 pandemic after nearly two-and-a-half years. 

The July jobs report from the Chamber’s Center for Economic Competitiveness said tourism jobs rose slightly from June and were up 1.4 percent from from February 2020. Job growth in the sector led it to a record-high 667,200 jobs here last month.   

“Positive job growth in our industry is welcome news as Memphis and Shelby County also meets and exceeds hotel room night demand seen in 2019,” said Memphis Tourism president and CEO Kevin Kane. “The biggest challenge now facing our industry on a local level is filling available openings. The Memphis destination has recovered at a rapid pace and our industry is laser-focused on showcasing how a job in tourism and hospitality can also develop into a successful career path.” 

Ted Townsend, chief economic development officer with the Chamber, said the pandemic “decimated” tourism and hospitality around the world but said it has made a “full recovery here.”

“This comeback comes as our region continues to set new records for jobs,” he said. “What that tells me is that Memphis has regained its pre-pandemic momentum and is entering a new phase of growth.” 

Tourism across the state has bounced back, too, according to state data released this week, but not back to pre-pandemic levels. Tennessee tourism generated $24.2 billion in domestic and international travel spending in 2021, according to data from U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics. The figure is just slightly off the record-setting $24.5 billion spent here in 2019. That number fell by 32 percent in 2020 to a record-low of $16.8 billion. 

The new figure marks the largest visitor spending nationally in Tennessee history, officials said. Travelers in the state spent an estimated $66 million per day here last years. Tourism activity here in 2021 generated $1.9 billion in state and local tax revenues and made the sector the third-highest employer in the state.  

“Tennessee is crushing it with the largest visitor spending national market share for Tennesseans in our history,” said Mark Ezell, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. “Tennessee is one of the top travel destinations in the world because of our tremendous assets including our unmatched scenic beauty, diverse cities, and small towns, as well as our world-class attractions, music, cultural, and historical sites.”

Shelby County tourism bounced back last year, too, according to the report, but not to pre-pandemic levels. Visitors here spent $3.4 billion in 2021, compared to the record $3.7 billion spent in 2019. However, spending here was up 35 percent over 2020 with a spend of $2.5 billion. 

The top three spending categories in Shelby County tourism last year were food and beverage ($1.1 billion), transportation ($826.2 million), and lodging ($544.2 million). Retail ($466.8 million) and recreation ($458.6 million) rounded out the top five.

Tourism here employed nearly 24,000 people for a total labor income of more than $1 billion. Tourism activity here yielded $276.1 million in state and local taxes. State officials said, thanks to tourism taxes generated here, each Shelby County household pays $744 less in state and local taxes. 

Davidson County (Nashville) continued to dominate tourism here, ranking first in the state’s annual report. Spending there is not back to pre-pandemic levels either but bounced back to a healthy $7.3 billion last year. The figure is nearly $4 billion more than money spent in Shelby County in the same time period.