The Chattanooga Tourism Co. announced that Samantha Brown, popular travel show host, will be the keynote speaker at the 2022 Chattanooga Tourism Summit. The event will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 20, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
Ms. Brown is an award-winning host and producer of Samantha Brown’s Places to Love on PBS. The show won an Emmy for Outstanding Travel/Adventure Program and Ms.
Brown won an Emmy for Outstanding Host. The Tourism Co. recently hosted Brown to film a Chattanooga episode of the show that will air in 2023. Over the past 25 years, Ms. Brown hosted the popular Travel Channel shows including Great Vacation Homes, Girl Meets Hawaii, Great Hotels, Passport to Europe, Passport to Latin America, Great Weekends, Green Getaways, Passport to China, and Samantha Brown’s Asia. She currently lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., with her husband, Kevin, and their twin son and daughter.
This year’s program includes a State of the Industry by Chief Executive Officer Barry White; keynote by Samantha Brown; VIP Meet & Greet with Samantha Brown; exhibitor showcase; live local entertainment; and post-summit professional development sessions. Nearly 1,000 people attend the event each year, spanning industries including lodging, food and beverage, attractions, retail, manufacturing, healthcare and more.
According to the latest data, Hamilton County hosts more than 15 million visitors each year who spend $1.5 billion in our community. On an average day, that’s 43,000 visitors spending $4.1 million; 15,000 of those visitors stay the night in our hotels. Visitor spending is taxed, and those taxes result in each household saving $868 on their property tax bill each year.
Tickets are on sale now. Tourism Summit registration is required to attend event and professional development sessions, as well as purchase and the Tourism Summit VIP Meet & Greet add-on ticket. Visit the Chattanooga Tourism Summit site for more information.