‘Explosion of international travelers’: 42% increase in Nashville tourists from other countries expected by 2026
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Bachelorettes, country music fans, and business travelers are not the only tourists filling the streets of Nashville lately, Music City has been garnering international attention.
Of the 17.1 million people expected to visit Nashville this year, 453,000 will be international visitors, according to new data released by the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation (NCVC).
By 2026, NCVC forecasts the number of international visitors will increase by 43%.
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“It makes a huge difference when you have that direct nonstop. And that’s part of our priorities right now is trying to increase the flights that we have or get more flights,” said NCVC president Deana Ivey. “The British Airways flight, all the Canadian flights that we have, we’re one of the very few destinations that have direct flights, from most of the major cities in Canada.”
Ivey said they are working on more incentives to bring in more international airlines and international visitors while also doing more marketing and PR to get the word out about what Nashville offers.
“It’s chicken and egg, you know, you have to have the flight to have the demand and have the demand to get the flight. So we work on both of those at the same time,” Ivey explained.
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Nashville Adventures tour operator Paul Whitten has noticed the results of NCVC’s efforts at his own company.
“We’ve had this explosion of international travelers,” Whitten said. “I am seeing a giant influx of folks from the UK, folks from France, folks from Germany, also from South America, believe it or not!”
Whitten said he has used this as an opportunity to highlight the role Nashville has played in world history and current culture.
“Not only does everyone listen to music, but also everyone is somehow connected to the Revolutionary, Civil War, or the unique history that Nashville provides,” he said. “To explain, ‘Alright, you’re from northern Canada. Let me tell you about Demonbreun and his trip from Canada down to here.”‘
While Whitten also points to the new, direct flights as a major reason for these new tourists, he also says word-of-mouth has played a role.”
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“I get folks all the time who tell me, I had someone visit here a while ago and they loved it,” he said.
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