Celebrating the resilience of the travel industry in Hamilton County will be a central focus when the 2022 Chattanooga Tourism Summit takes place on Tuesday, Sept. 20, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Chattanooga Convention Center. The keynote speaker, Samantha Brown, award-winning host and producer of Samantha Brown’s Places to Love on PBS and former host of several Travel Channel shows, will share her insights on why travel is important, now more than ever. 

Officials said, "More than 15 million people visit Hamilton County annually and spend $1.5 billion. On an average day, that’s roughly 40,000 visitors in town, with 15,000 of them spending the night in our hotels and spend $4.1 million per day on entertainment, shopping, dining and more. In addition to directly supporting our local businesses, they are essentially temporary taxpayers who save every Hamilton County household $868 per year in taxes."  

"Over the last couple of years, Chattanooga has fought hard. While we still have some growth to go, our local travel industry is thriving and showing no signs of slowing down. The Chattanooga Tourism Co. is proud of the dedication and innovation shown by our tourism partners, and we are honored to go alongside them through our industry's recovery," said Barry White, president and CEO of Chattanooga Tourism Co. "The summit is an opportunity for us to celebrate Chattanooga's resilience and share the benefits tourism offers our community and residents."  

The Summit includes a State of the Tourism Industry by Mr. White, keynote by Ms. Brown, VIP Meet & Greet with Ms. Brown, exhibitor showcase, live entertainment by Chattanooga buskers and post-summit professional development breakout sessions.  

All Summit attendees are encouraged to participate in one of the free professional development breakout sessions. Sessions are a complimentary add-on for all Summit registrants. 

2022 Concurrent Breakout Sessions: 

- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Tourism Panel Discussion, presented by The Chattanooga Tourism Co.  
 
The Chattanooga Tourism Co. will share national data on diverse travelers and how the organization is working to collect insights on their wants and needs in the region. Panelists will share and discuss their visitor experience, marketing and organization EDI initiatives. This session is designed to personalize and deepen your understanding of equity, diversity and inclusion within your organization, community and the travel industry.  


- Digital Presence Workshop, presented by Miles Partnership 

- Updated Google reviews are considered 2.7 times more reputable by potential travelers and 70 percent more likely to attract visitors. Over the past year Miles Partnership, audited the online presence of several hundred Chattanooga businesses to see how they can increase consumer engagement to provide a better view for travelers. In this interactive session, Miles will share the results of the audit and work with you to help maximize your online exposure to create a better visitor experience. 

2022 Chattanooga Tourism Summit Schedule:
11 a.m. - VIP Meet & Greet with Keynote Samantha Brown 
11 a.m. - Exhibitor Showcase and Live Local Entertainment 
noon - Luncheon & Main Program 
1:15-2 p.m. - Concurrent Post-Summit Sessions 

2022 Chattanooga Tourism Summit Partners: 
• Tourism Champion Partner: Miles Partnership 
• Scenic City Parters: Truist Bank, LEO Events 
• Tourism Partners: DeFoor Hospitality Group, Embassy Suites by Hilton/Hamilton Place, Ruby Falls, See Rock City, Inc., Synovus, The Read House Hotel, Tennessee Aquarium, and the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum.  
• Exhibitors: CTM Media, Nooga Shuttles 

Registration is required to attend. For more information, go to VisitChattanooga.com/Summit.