Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tourism topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Visit Knoxville reports 7% early FY‑26 growth, outlines festival and stadium event bookings
Summary
Visit Knoxville president Kim Bumpas told the Knox County Commission that FY‑25 saw strong tourism activity and early FY‑26 shows 7% growth; she described Sunsphere operations, fundraising model, event recruitment and criteria for marketing partnerships.
Kim Bumpas, president of Visit Knoxville, presented the organization's annual report to the Knox County Commission on Nov. 17, saying early fiscal‑year 2026 figures show about 7% growth over FY‑25 and highlighting recent successes including the Sunsphere reopening and a new welcome center.
Bumpas described Visit Knoxville as a 501(c)(3) that holds contracts with both Knox County and the City of Knoxville and augments those funds with earned revenue such as film‑office services and festival partnerships. She said the Sunsphere fund paid for the welcome center and that more than 200,000 visitors have visited the Sunsphere since its reopening in February 2022.
Commissioners asked about how Visit Knoxville decides marketing partnerships and grants. Bumpas said the organization evaluates partnership requests case‑by‑case, prioritizing events that bring out‑of‑town attendance, media coverage and a measurable visitor experience. “We really try to lean into anything that's a visitor experience that would help us tell this story of why you should visit Knoxville,” she said. She added Visit Knoxville manages sports‑event recruitment and serves as the sports authority operator for certain facilities.
Commissioner Russell asked whether Visit Knoxville had considered a name change to better reflect countywide work; Bumpas said she avoids saying Visit Knoxville without mentioning Knox County and that the organization already partners countywide, including with the town of Farragut. Commissioners also discussed a possible tourism focus for the 250th anniversary of the United States and opportunities to coordinate county landmarks.
Bumpas said the organization books more than 200 events for future years and supports roughly 350 events annually, from festivals to sporting events, and is running traffic‑management feasibility work with the University of Tennessee, the city and the county to prepare for overlapping large events. Commissioners thanked Bumpas for the report and asked that she provide a list of marketing partnerships and criteria for commissioners' review.
