Explore the results of research done for the Nashville hospitality industry.
Top Feeder Cities
- Chicago
- Atlanta
- New York City
- Memphis
- Dallas
- Houston
- Birmingham
- Los Angeles
- Boston
- Washington DC
- Knoxville
- Philadelphia
- St. Louis
- Detroit
- Louisville
- Charlotte
- Tampa
- Kansas City
- Lexington
- Austin
Top Feeder States
- Illinois
- Florida
- Tennessee
- Ohio
- Texas
- Georgia
- New York
- North Carolina
- California
- Alabama
Research Highlights from Visitor Intercept Surveys
2001 | 2007-08 | 2011-12 | 2015 | 2018-19 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Avg. Size of Party | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 2.5 |
Avg. Length of Stay (# of nights) | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.6 |
Avg. Spending per Party | $608 | $1,593* | $1,103 | $1,475 | $1,609 |
Avg. Spending per Person per Room Night | $42.13 | $130.04* | $96.73 | $153.35 | $178.79 |
Avg. Age of Visitor | n/a | 50.3 | 46.5 | 46.1 | 45.6 |
Avg. Income of Visitor | n/a | $91.6K | $81.8K | $92.1K | $98.8K |
Nashville Met Expectations | 99% | 94%** | 96% | 96% | 96% |
Likely to Return to Nashville | 72% | 92% | 92% | 94% | 91% |
"Music City" Lives Up to its Name | n/a | n/a | 89% | 92% | 91% |
No. of Live Music Venues Visited | n/a | n/a | 3.2 | 3.3 | 4.3 |
Accommodations in Nashville Hotel/Motel Home Rental Family/Friends Other |
72% n/a 20% 8% |
84% n/a 11% 5% |
84% n/a 12% 4% |
88% 4% 6% 2% |
79% 12% 6% 2% |
Number of Visits to Nashville ^ First Visit Repeat Visit |
58% 42% |
51% 49% |
61% 39% |
52% 48% |
59% 41% |
Primary Form of Transportation Commercial Airline Personal Vehicle Rental Vehicle Tour Bus Other |
36% 49% n/a n/a 15% |
36% 50% 5% 5% 4% |
41% 45% 5% 5% 4% |
39% 43% 10% 4% 4% |
52% 39% 4% 1% 4% |
Purpose of Visit See Sights/Attractions/Events Attend Conference/Business Meeting Visit Family/Friends Other |
n/a n/a n/a n/a |
50% 26% 19% 5% |
48% 35% 14% 3% |
38% 45% 10% 7% |
44% 41% 11% 4% |
*Included Airfare in the spending averages. Airfare is not included in the following years.
**Only asked in the first round of 2007-08 Intercept Survey.
^Except in 2019, this question asked if the person had visited in the past 5 years.
2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of Visitors | 13.1 million | 13.5 million | 13.9 million | 14.5 million | 15.2 million | 16.2 million |
Hotel Occupancy Rate | 73% | 74% | 75% | 75% | 75% | 75% |
Hotel Occupancy Tax (6% local) | $49,882,792 | $57,028,095 | $64,709,362 | $72,550,745 | $81,353,821 | $91,365,096 |
Direct Visitor Spending | $5.4 billion | $5.7 billion | $6.0 billion | $6.5 billion | $7.0 billion | $7.5 billion |
Airline Passengers | 11,039,634 | 11,673,633 | 12,980,106 | 14,125,449 | 15,996,194 | 18,273,434 |
Meetings/Conventions Held | 616 | 643 | 693 | 898 | 1,050 | 1,243 |
Meetings/Convention Room Nights | 860,188 | 863,263 | 801,509 | 862,523 | 1,017,898 | 1,163,922 |
Hotel Rooms Sold | 6,824,306 | 7,067,951 | 7,307,989 | 7,545,872 | 7,988,922 | 8,769,272 |
Market Stats
- 16.1 million visitors in 2019 (+6% over 2018)
- 5-7% of overnight visitors are international
- Number of hotel rooms
- Nashville MSA: 54,499 (2019 occ: 73.5%)
- Davidson County: 36,816 (2019 occ: 75.3%)
- Over 100 restaurants/bars/cafes opened to date in 2021
Economic Impact (2019)
2019 | % change from 2018 | |
---|---|---|
Direct Visitor Spend | $7.52 billion | +8.1% |
Jobs | 74,440 | +4.6% |
Worker/income paychecks | $1.9 billion | +6.5% |
State & local taxes | $566 million | +8.5% |
Access
- Nashville Int’l Airport (BNA) nonstop service includes 238 average daily departures to 88 destinations.
- One of only six cities where 3 interstates connect; over 40% of the US population lives within 600 miles of Nashville
Hotel Development Pipeline
Rooms in Pipeline | |
---|---|
In Construction | 3,275 |
Final Planning | 1,868 |
Planning | 2,338 |
TOTAL | 7,481 |
New Hotel Properties | New Hotel Rooms | |
---|---|---|
2016 | 5 | 830 |
2017 | 9 | 1,219 |
2018 | 15 | 2,304 |
2019 | 18 | 2,483 |
2020 | 12 | 2,539 |
2021 | 11 | 1,709 |
2022 (f) | 13 | 2,214 |
Number of Visitors (millions)

Source: NCVC, STR, Visitor Profile data
Direct Visitor Spending (billions)

Source: US Travel Assn
Visitor Profile (2018-19)
- Average party size: 2.5 people
- Average length of stay: 3.6 nights
- Average spending per person per day: $179
- 91% are likely to return to Nashville
Accolades
Nashville has topped the charts as one of the best places to visit by the likes of Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, The Telegraph, and so many others. A few of our recent favorites:
- Five of the Best U.S. Destinations to Visit in 2021
- Best Cities in the U.S.
- The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2021
- The World's Greatest Cities for Music Lovers
- America's Best Bourbon Bars
- Best Food Cities
Information updated February 2022.