Williamson County Sets Tourism Records

FRANKLIN, TN — Williamson County's tourism industry continue to grow.

According to statistics released by the state Tuesday, 1.43 million travelers visited the county in 2016, a 9.4 percent increase over 2015. Those tourists had an economic impact of $427.25 million, $17 million more than the year before. Williamson County has the sixth-largest tourism industry in the state.

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Since the the Williamson County Convention and Visitor Bureau spun out as an independent non-profit a decade ago, tourism's economic impact has grown 70 percent, according to state figures.

State and local tax collections from tourism related spending in the county in 2016 generated a total of $26.15 million in state and $8.95 million in local tax revenues, increases of 5.9 percent and 4.6 percent, respectively.

“More travelers from around the world are visiting Williamson County each year, bringing in over $8.95 million in local tax revenues and creating over 3,500 jobs, which is great news for every Williamson County resident,” said Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson in a release.

Tourism related jobs jumped nearly 18 percent in 2016.

Image via Beth Torrence, used by permission