Visit Franklin earned Tennessee's top tourism marketing award for the second year running, backed by new data showing record visitor spending in Williamson County.
The Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association (TNHTA) named Visit Franklin its Destination Marketing Organization of the Year in the large division. The award was presented at the 2026 Purple Iris Awards ceremony during the Governor's Conference on Hospitality & Tourism, held Sept. 16–18 in Gatlinburg. Visit Franklin, the public brand of the Williamson County Convention & Visitors Bureau, won the same award in September 2025.
The back-to-back wins come alongside fresh economic numbers. Williamson County welcomed an estimated 8.83 million visitors in 2025 who generated $1.38 billion in direct spending, according to Tourism Economics and the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. That total marked a 1.33% increase over 2024's $1.37 billion. The county ranked No. 6 among Tennessee's 95 counties for visitor spending and was one of only six to top $1 billion, The Tennessean reported.
That set a county record.
Visitors spent $3.79 million per day in the local economy. That spending generated $93.4 million in state tax revenue and $56.2 million in local tax revenue, with $18.79 million going directly to Williamson County public schools, according to Visit Franklin.
The hospitality industry added 179 jobs in 2025, bringing total hospitality employment in the county to 9,180. Because of visitor-generated tax revenue, each Williamson County household pays an estimated $1,621 less in combined state and local taxes, $443 above the statewide per-household average, Visit Franklin said.
"Being recognized by our industry peers a second consecutive time shows our work as an organization is truly resonating as we work to represent Williamson County," Maureen Thornton, president and CEO of Visit Franklin, said in a statement.
The TNHTA award honors organizations with annual budgets above $500,000 that demonstrate excellence in destination marketing, public relations and collaboration with local hospitality partners. This year's award cited Visit Franklin's "Eight Communities, One Community" brand framework, which unifies messaging across all eight Williamson County municipalities.
The organization's Ambassador Program also hit a milestone in 2026, marking its 10th anniversary with more than 2,400 certified ambassadors. The program started as a hospitality-industry training initiative and now enrolls any community member.
Brandy Blanton, Visit Franklin board chair and Franklin alderman at large, said the positive trend in visitor spending is "poised to continue through 2026 and beyond."
Food and beverage led local visitor spending categories in 2025 at 36%, followed by hotels and lodging at 22%, amusement and recreation at 16%, transportation at 14% and retail at 13%.
