Tourist spending in Alabama hits all-time high; state records largest growth in visitors

Alabama tourism spending hit an all-time high of $14.3 billion in 2017 as a record 26 million travelers visited the Yellowhammer State last year, according to a report released Tuesday by the state Tourism Department and unveiled by Gov. Kay Ivey.

"Every part of the state saw dramatic growth, from the mountains of the Tennessee Valley to the beaches along the Gulf Coast," the governor said in a statement before releasing the report at Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Birmingham. "Most communities generated more revenue and gained jobs through meetings, conventions, sporting events, visits to museums and other tourist attractions. The larger counties which have invested in sporting venues have seen an increase in the number of youth teams arriving from outside the immediate area for tournament."

The state's tourism industry grew by 7 percent, or $1 billion, in 2017, the report found. Jobs directly or indirectly created through tourism increased by nearly 7,400 jobs to 186,900 in 2017. Growth in the sector was the largest this year since the 2010 Gulf Coast oil spill, when $9 billion was spent by tourists statewide.

The state tourism job numbers are about double the U.S. Labor Department estimate of 89,640 travel-related jobs in Alabama as of 2016. The federal figure does not include jobs that were created indirectly by tourism.

Baldwin County led the state in tourist spending with $4.4 billion while Jefferson County's tourism industry had the highest growth in Alabama at 9.8 percent, or an increase of 148,498 tourists. The state's most populous county also recorded more than $2 billion in tourist spending for the first time.

Madison County had more than 85,000 more tourists visit from 2016 for 3.1 million guests. Those visitors spent $1.3 billion in the county - a 9.8 percent gain from 2016.

Mobile County's tourism industry grew by 8 percent, the report found. About $1.6 billion was spent by the county's 3.4 million tourists last year.

Montgomery County added 8,940 visitors from 2016 and recorded a 3.3 percent increase in tourist spending, the report found. The city of Mongomery had nearly 2 million visitors who spent $841 million, according to a study conducted by Montgomery economist Keivan Deravi.

Ivey said the growth in Alabama's tourism industry saves state residents from having to pay an additional $467 in taxes a year.

"I am so proud to lead a state that has so much to offer to the people of the world, much less to our great state, and these numbers illustrate that people around the world want to come to Alabama to experience all the attractions that we have in our state," she said at the museum.

Alabama Tourism Director Lee Sentel said the credit goes to the state's tourism industry as a whole.

"This is not the Alabama Tourism Department. This is the 185,000 people...who are representing your cities and your attractions," he said.

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