Cocke County Sees Increase In Tourism Spending

When we think of tourism in the Smokies we usually think about Sevier County. However, tourism is becoming a bigger part of Cocke County’s economy. A report recently released on tourism in Tennessee shows that out of the 95 counties in the state, Cocke County ranks at #32 in tourism. For 2022, which is the latest year that data is available, visitors to the area spent over $66 million that year in Cocke County. That is an increase of 8% from 2021. Most of the money being spent by tourists in Cocke County was for lodging, which accounted for 33% of the spending. According to the data, over a quarter of a million people spent at least one night in Cocke County. 29% of the money visitors spent was on transportation and 20% on food and beverage.

As far as the economic impact, in 2022 Cocke County saw tax revenue of over $2.6 million thanks to tourist spending. That number is up substantially from 2021 when Cocke County had $1.8 million in tax revenue.

Those visitors to Cocke County resulted in 452 people being employed in tourism related jobs. The state’s report says that accounts for over $45,000 in daily labor income.

The tourism numbers are expected to continue to increase for Cocke County as more businesses move into the area and more attractions develop in the county.