Recovery of Hamilton County’s tourism economy will be a central focus when the 2021 Chattanooga Tourism Summit takes place virtually on Tuesday, March 9. The Chattanooga Tourism Co. has secured Steven Paganelli, a leading marketing executive from TripAdvisor, to share his insights and guidance as the keynote speaker. 

“Throughout the pandemic, Chattanooga Tourism Co. has worked hard to connect our local industry with resources and tools to navigate these challenging times,” said Barry White, president and CEO of Chattanooga Tourism Co. “We’re dedicated to innovating and collaborating with our tourism partners, and the summit is both a celebration and a forum for learning from industry experts.” 

The summit will include a local musical performance, the keynote from Paganelli, two breakout sessions for hospitality and tourism professionals and an update from White on the region’s tourism economy.  In 2019, tourism had an economic impact of $1.2 billion in Hamilton County.  

TOURISM SUMMIT SCHEDULE: 

9 AM Main Program 

  • Tourism Report - Barry White, Chattanooga Tourism Co. President & CEO 

  • Keynote - Steven Paganelli, TripAdvisor Group Head of Destination Marketing, Americas 

10-10:30 AM        Concurrent Breakout Sessions 

  • Inspiring Confidence with Online Listings - Josh Wray, Miles Partnership Program Specialist 

  • State of the Hotel Industry in the U.S. and Chattanooga - Jennifer Foster, STR Business Development Executive, Destinations 

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

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ABOUT CHATTANOOGA TOURISM CO. 
The Chattanooga Tourism Co. promotes and develops visitor experiences for our community’s economic and social prosperity. Chattanooga has been named one of 10 Best Small Cities in the U.S. in 2019 and one of 10 Friendliest Cities in 2020 in Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards as well as one of 20 U.S. Places to Go by TripAdvisor as recently as 2020. Start exploring at VisitChattanooga.com or follow @VisitChatt on social media. 

MEDIA CONTACTS: Marissa Bell, Chattanooga Tourism Co.
marissa@chattanoogatourism.com or 423-424-4433