Montgomery County tourism spending reached $441 million in 2025, reflecting a 5.3% increase from 2024 and nearly double the Tennessee statewide growth rate of 2.7%, according to data from the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and Tourism Economics.
Visitor spending in Montgomery County generated over $28 million in state tax revenue and more than $16 million in local tax revenue in 2025, supporting government services in the area.
Tourism dollars in the county were distributed across lodging, retail, transportation, recreation, and dining sectors. Visitors spent on average more than $1.2 million daily on these categories. The report estimated 1.7 million
day visitors traveled more than 50 miles to Montgomery County, while over 1 million visitors stayed overnight in the county during 2025.
Non-residents accounted for 36% of visitor spending, and 24% of total spending occurred at locally owned businesses. Montgomery County’s top 10 visitor markets were Nashville, Paducah, Atlanta, Knoxville, Memphis, Chicago, Evansville, Louisville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis.
Statewide, Tennessee tourism produced $32.5 billion in direct visitor spending in 2025, fueled by 150 million visitors, a 3.3% rise from 2024. Tourism supported 196,415 direct jobs and generated $3.3 billion in combined state and local tax revenue. Key revenue sources statewide
included $9 billion from food and beverage, $7.6 billion from lodging, $6.7 billion from transportation, $5.4 billion from entertainment, and $3.6 billion from retail.
Patricia Allende, chair of the Visit Clarksville Board of Directors, said, “We are thrilled to see a growth in tourism spending of more than 5%. That money is earned elsewhere and spent here on services for residents.” Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Commissioner Mark Ezell added, “Tennessee is a sales tax state. The quality of our assets – whether that’s live music or entertainment or outdoors – are attractive to visitors. Every tax dollar captured from
an out-of-state visitor is a dollar retained in Tennessee and used for Tennesseans. It’s incredible to see communities understanding the power of visitor spending and leveraging that spending for the good of their residents.”
Tourism spending growth in Montgomery County exceeds national averages and provides funding for public education, public safety, parks, and local government. Tennessee’s sales tax system benefits from out-of-state visitor spending, supporting services for residents and enabling Montgomery County’s continued investment in tourism marketing and event recruitment.
