Lessons in Advocacy: How Tennessee Used Intelligent Data to Secure Tourism Funding

When faced with a looming 60% budget cut, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development (TDTD) didn’t panic—they got strategic. Rather than wait for a crisis, Research Director Josh Gibson and the TDTD team used a proactive, intelligence-backed strategy to make the case for sustained tourism investment. 

Setting the Stage

Like many DMOs post-COVID, Tennessee’s tourism office had relied heavily on federal relief from CARES and ARPA. Without new funding, TDTD would have been forced to cut its budget by more than half—returning to spending levels last seen in 2016.

Instead of reacting to a shortfall, the TDTD team acted early. “You have invested—we’ve shown results,” said Gibson. “Now, how do we move forward in a way that makes sense for Tennessee?”

 

Tourism as a Business Case

To make the case to lawmakers, TDTD didn’t just talk about tourism as an industry—they positioned it like a business: Volume + Margin = Household Tax Savings.

“Our governor and commissioner both come from business backgrounds,” Gibson shared. “So we asked, how do we frame tourism in a way that mirrors a business case—with volume, margin, and measurable ROI?”

Zartico’s intelligence gave the department clear visibility into where visitors were coming from, how they were spending, and what local communities stood to gain. That story wasn’t just about feel-good messaging—it was backed by numbers.

 

Building the Case

“We leaned heavily on Zartico to fill the gap between big-picture models and ground-level truths,” said Gibson. With Zartico, the department could:

  • Track visitor origins at the city and county level
  • Compare resident vs. visitor spending by category
  • Surface spend ratios for accommodations, attractions, and dining
  • Share reliable insights with stakeholders

One of the most powerful moments came when the team used intelligence to show district-level visitor activity to legislators. “We could tell a lawmaker, ‘Here are the top five out-of-state counties sending visitors to your district,’” Gibson said. “That’s when the lightbulb went off. It gave them something they could see, understand—and believe.”

Tn ReportsExample of a report sharing district-level visitor activity with legislators. 

 

Essential Intelligence, Delivered Strategically

While many people played a role in carrying the message, Gibson is clear: the data-backed narrative was critical.

“Our commissioner and team brought the passion,” he said. “But without the data, we wouldn’t have had the credibility. One senator even said he loved how ‘cerebral’ our case was—how data-forward we were. That stuck with me.”

 

Empowering Partners Across the State

This wasn’t just a win for the state office—it’s a blueprint that’s helping Tennessee’s local tourism partners make their own cases.

With Zartico’s data now available to communities across the state, partners can view city and county-level insights, understand visitor patterns, and use real data to justify local funding.

“When a local DMO has to ask a city council for $25,000 or $50,000, it’s hard to get traction without hard evidence,” said Gibson. “Zartico gives them receipts from their own community.”

The department is also focused on growing data literacy, offering training and support so that even the smallest DMO can confidently tell their story.

 

Advice to Other DMOs

Gibson’s advice is clear:
“Use tools like Zartico to help you find those moments throughout the year where you can tell the story of tourism’s value—clearly, consistently, and credibly.”

He acknowledges that every state has a different economic structure. But the core principle applies everywhere: identify the unique value proposition of visitors in your state, tie that to dollars, and start building a case rooted in clarity, credibility, and strategy.

 

Key Takeaway

Tennessee turned a looming crisis into a strategic victory. 

With a fact-based, data-driven strategy, they didn’t just defend their budget—they secured a $10M recurring increase and a $15M one-time boost.

By using Zartico’s Essential Intelligence, TDTD crafted a story lawmakers couldn’t ignore—and laid the groundwork for sustainable tourism funding across the state.

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