(The Center Square) – A partnership that kept the Great Smoky Mountains National Park open during the 2025 government shutdown is a factor in an increase in visitor spending, state officials said.
Tourists spent $32.5 billion in 2025, a 2.7% increase over 2024, according to the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.
Visitor spending accounts for $3.3 billion in state and local tax revenues annually, a $1,180 tax saving for each Tennessee household, the department said.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee is the most visited park in the U.S., with 12.2 million visitors in 2024, according to the Tennessee Department of Tourism.
The park would have been closed during the 43-day government shutdown, like other state parks.
Sevier County, the cities of Gatlinburg, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Pittman Center, Blount County, Cocke County, the state of Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Friends of the Smokies and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians joined together to keep the park open, according to a Sevier County release. The partnership funded $61,703.18 each day, keeping all aspects of the park open.
“We are grateful to the local, state and federal partners who worked together to ensure Great Smoky Mountains National Park remained open for all visitors to enjoy,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “As Tennessee’s second largest industry, tourism is a powerful economic driver in all 95 counties that creates greater opportunity for families and communities across the state.”
The report generated for the state by Tourism Economics shows that 150 million people visited Tennessee in 2025. The average amount spent per day by tourists is $89 million.
Since 2018, the year before Lee took office, Tennessee's tourism economy has increased by 40%, according to the department. The national growth rate is 22%.
“I’m so thankful to the Lee administration and the General Assembly for their record investments over the years to help Tennessee succeed, grow and lead on a national stage,” said Mark Ezell, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. “This growth matters to Tennesseans."
Researchers defined a visitor as someone "who stayed overnight or traveled more than 50 miles to the destination."
The primary data source for the report is the Regional Economic Information System from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Originally published on thecentersquare.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
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