CLARKSVILLE, TN – Clarksville-Montgomery County visitor spending outpaced the state and nation during 2020, despite a global pandemic.
Local tourism generated $252.14 million in domestic and international travel spending in 2020, a 28 percent decline from the previous year, according to newly released economic impact data from U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics. Tourism spending decreased 32 percent in Tennessee and 42 percent in the nation in 2020.
During the Governor’s Conference on Tourism recently, Department of Tourist Development Commissioner Mark Ezell announced that Tennessee’s leisure and hospitality industry was on a record track the first two months of 2020. COVID-19 was the largest crisis to hit the leisure and hospitality industry in history.
“Tennessee proved our resiliency by outperforming the nation,” he said. “During April, May and June (2021) our tax revenue is out-performing pre-COVID numbers. And from April 2020 through January 21, Tennessee is one of only seven states with a positive percentage change in consumer spending.”
Between 2015 and 2019, annual visitor spending in Montgomery County increased from $281 million to $352.5 million, a 25.4 percent increase, then decreased to $252 million in 2020. Average visitor spending in Montgomery County totaled just under $689,000 per day in 2020.
“We’ve experienced record-breaking growth in tourism during the previous five years,” said Visit Clarksville Board of Directors Chairman Matt Cunningham. “And we’ve not stopped marketing, so we’re well-positioned for a strong economic rebound. Like the state, we saw the beginnings of a big bounce-back in the early summer. Visitors and residents have made excellent use of our outdoor assets and recreational opportunities. We also have such a variety of restaurants here, and most all of them adapted well to meet safety protocols. These have given visitors and residents opportunities to experience our community safely and still support the local economy.”
By the numbers
Data from the Tourism Economics report showed that direct state and local taxes generated by tourist activity totaled $21 million. As a result of visitor spending, each household in Montgomery County pays $290 less in state and local taxes. Counting indirect spending throughs supporting industries, that amount totals $436 per household annually.
Other report highlights for Montgomery County:
- Direct labor income, or payroll, totaled $81.46 million, with 3,300 persons directly employed in tourism sectors.
- Food and Beverage spending totaled $90.5 million
- Lodging spending totaled $44.95 million
- Retail spending totaled $36.8 million
- Recreation spending totaled $20.56 million
- Transportation spending totaled $59.3 million
Visitor spending in Tennessee’s top nine counties in 2020:
- Davidson, $4.48 billion, down 43.2 percent
- Shelby, $2.57 billion, down 31.7 percent
- Sevier, $2.38 billion, down 13.5 percent
- Knox $1.16 billion, down 31.7 percent
- Hamilton, $1.07 billion, down 30.2 percent
- Williamson, $775 million, down 31.1 percent
- Rutherford, $472 million, down 27.6 percent
- Blount, $337 million, down 33.8 percent
- Montgomery, $252 million, down 28.5 percent
Recent tourism in Clarksville
During 2020, Visit Clarksville hosted sports competitions in soccer, track & field, baseball and softball that generated $9.3 million in visitor spending. In 2021, outdoor events kicked off again in May with baseball, track & field and softball. In July, Visit Clarksville hosted its first indoor sports competition with the AAU Boys National Basketball Championship, followed by another large outdoor softball tournament. This fall the TSSAA Middle School Cross Country State Finals takes place October 1-2 at Weakley Park, and the TACA East vs. West All-Star Football Championship happens December 7-10 at Austin Peay State University.
“Fortunately, we weren’t completely shut down,” said Visit Clarksville Executive Director, Theresa Harrington. “Competitive sports, especially outdoor events, did still happen. We are blessed to have facilities that can accommodate those, and we worked with event organizers to make sure protocols were in place that kept everyone safe and still provided an excellent guest experience. In most cases, we are seeing fewer teams and attendance, but the good news is that people are traveling again, and that boosts the economy and benefits everyone.”
Cunningham also expressed optimism about the future of tourism in Montgomery County.
“From a tourism standpoint, we have a well-rounded economy because we’re not dependent on one primary attraction,” he said. “We have outstanding recreational assets and scenic beauty, historic attractions, family fun centers, entertainment, performing and visual arts, local shopping, a diverse food scene, and an emerging craft beverage scene. It’s been a hard year and many businesses have felt losses from reduced travel, but we’ve fared better than many places. We’ve had a good first quarter, so we’re looking ahead, planning ahead and expecting economic prosperity again for all of our industries.”