Dade County Visitor Spending Reaches $25.7 Million as Visitation Grows 10.4% in 2025
Tourism supports 149 local jobs
TRENTON, Ga., October 28, 2026 — Alliance for Dade – Chamber of Commerce & Welcome Center announced that visitors spent $25.7 million in Dade County in 2025, supporting 149 jobs directly tied to tourism. State-reported visitation increased 10.4% over the previous year, highlighting tourism’s contribution to local businesses and employment.
According to data from Tourism Economics and the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), Dade County’s visitor spending included $7.6 million in lodging, $5.5 million in food and beverage, $1.7 million in recreation, $3.9 million in retail, and $7 million in transportation. Those dollars support businesses across the county, extending tourism’s benefits beyond overnight accommodations to restaurants, shops, recreation providers, and other services.
Dade County’s signature attractions combine Northwest Georgia’s mountain scenery with memorable outdoor adventures. Cloudland Canyon State Park offers dramatic canyon overlooks, waterfalls, hiking trails, and camping on the western edge of Lookout Mountain. Lookout Mountain Flight Park offers hang gliding and paragliding experiences, while scenic mountain drives provide another way to enjoy the area’s natural beauty.
Distinctive lodging gives visitors even more reasons to make Dade County an overnight destination. Options include The Groovy Nomad, Sawyer’s Cabins, Whippoorwill Retreat Treehouse, and The Hideaway at Whisperhills, The Lucky Lure, alongside glamping experiences and scenic campgrounds like Stay Wilder. Red White & Blue Views adds a pickleball stay-and-play experience to the county’s accommodations just to name a few.
Beyond the mountains, visitors can meet alpacas at Rosie Mae’s Alpaca Farm & Boutique in Wildwood or explore military history at the Oscar Ellis American Legion Post Military Museum in Trenton. Seasonal farm experiences include lavender picking at Lookout Lavender Farm, blueberries and U-pick flowers at Fox Mountain Farm, and Daylily sales at Wasawillow Farm. These attractions connect travelers with the county’s history, agriculture, and small businesses.
New monthly reports obtained through Place AI provide Alliance for Dade with additional insights into visitor activity. The October report, covering October 2025 through September 2026 and travelers living at least 50 miles away, recorded approximately 390,500 trips, including 280,100 overnight trips and 110,400 day trips. The report also recorded 569,400 visit nights and an average overnight trip duration of 3.1 days.
Atlanta, Nashville, and Birmingham were the leading visitor origin markets in the July, September, and October Place AI reports. The October report also identified visitors from New York, Huntsville, Chicago, Knoxville, and major Florida markets, illustrating Dade County’s reach beyond its immediate region.
These monthly Placer AI reports provide rolling 12-month insights that complement the State’s calendar-year economic impact study, offering additional information to guide local tourism planning and promotion.
“The foundation of Georgia’s tourism success is partnership,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Deputy Commissioner of Tourism Jay Markwalter. “Thanks to the leadership of Governor Kemp, our General Assembly, GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson, the Georgia Tourism Foundation Board of Directors, and the efforts of our statewide tourism industry, we’re putting Georgia on travelers’ minds like never before. By working together to promote Georgia and deliver exceptional visitor experiences, we’re fueling sustainable growth that benefits every community in Georgia.”
Dade County’s tourism activity contributed to another record-setting year for Georgia. In 2025, Georgia broke tourism records for the fourth consecutive year and ranked No. 5 in the nation for domestic overnight visitation for the sixth year in a row. A new high of 175.6 million domestic and international visitors spent $46.2 billion on lodging, restaurants, recreation, transportation, and other local businesses across the state.
Those tourism dollars generated $5.3 billion in state and local tax revenues, saving each Georgia household nearly $1,300 in annual taxes on average. Tourism is one of Georgia’s largest economic contributors, generating $84.1 billion in statewide economic impact and supporting 473,837 direct, indirect, and induced jobs, accounting for 1 in every 15 jobs in Georgia.
The 2025 economic impact data is sourced from an annual study conducted by Tourism Economics and commissioned by the Georgia Department of Economic Development to measure the economic impact of tourism on the state and its 159 counties. Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, is a leader in global economic forecasting for the travel and tourism industry.
For information about Dade County attractions, lodging, and trip planning, visit AllianceForDade.com.
About Alliance for Dade
Alliance for Dade – Chamber of Commerce & Welcome Center serves Trenton and Dade County, supporting local businesses, welcoming visitors, and promoting the community’s tourism opportunities.