Cookeville, Putnam County See Tourism Growth In 2018

Cookeville and Putnam County saw continued tourism growth in 2018.

The Cookeville-Putnam County Visitors’ Bureau reports the continued growth in tourism generated $2.82 million in local tax revenue.

According to a press release, Putnam County’s contribution to Tennessee’s overall tourism growth resulted in mover $140 million worth of tourism expenditures.

Travel industry jobs have also grown, as the county experienced a six-percent increase in payroll for hospitality jobs and employment numbers growing by 2.6 percent. Overall, hospitality jobs generated over $26 million.

Putnam County’s growth in tourism last year boosted its state ranking to 16th of Tennessee’s 95 counties.

The press release indicates direct domestic and international travel expenditures in Tennessee reached a record-high $22 billion in 2018. Every county in the state had more than $1 million in direct travel expenditures.