Culinary Arts

• According to the National Restaurant Association, table service restaurants derive roughly one-third of their annual sales revenue from tourists.
• Texas foodservice sales are greater than $27 billion per year.
• The foodservice industry sales will contribute significantly to the state's coffers with $2.2 billion in sales tax revenues.
• More than 45,000 restaurants can be found within the state's borders.
• Texas remains the second largest foodservice market in the nation, behind California.
• As the largest retail employer in Texas, the Texas foodservice industry employs more than 650,000 people.
• Total wages and benefits in the industry exceed $7 billion.
• Most restaurateurs started in entry-level jobs

Hotels

• The hospitality industry generates nearly $2.2 billion in state tax revenues and $676 million locally.
• An entry-level employee is more likely to be promoted to a management position in the hotel industry than an entry-level employee within just about any other corporate sector.
• Texas hotel industry employes over 89,000 people.
• Each year the Texas hotel industry sells in excess of 64 million room nights annually, generating over $4.5 billion in revenue.
• More than 3,300 lodging facilities in Texas host more than 177 million travelers a year.

Tourism

• Texas ranks behind California as the second most popular state for trips taken by U.S. travelers.
• Without the tax revenue generated by travel to Texas, each Texas household would face an average of $792 in additional annual taxes to maintain existing government services.
• The travel and tourism industry employs more than 485,000 people in the state, earning an estimated total of $11.2 billion.
• The Texas hospitality industry has been ranked one of the top three industries in the state.
• The industry contributes over $40 billion to the Texas economy each year. Since 1990, total travel spending has increased by more than 88%.