Published on : Friday, January 4, 2019
“We’re not sure how much better we can do domestically,” says Butch Spyridon, CEO of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corporation.
By now, Nashville is regularly leading the country in terms of the growth of hotel rooms sold. However, there could be more untapped travel dollars abroad.
“The incremental growth, we think, is a much better story on the international side,” Spyridon said. The CVC’s initiations jumped in the past year as British Airways introduced nonstop flights to and from London and quickly increased the frequency of those trips to daily.
“An overwhelming success,” Spyridon said.
In the forthcoming year, London will remain a priority, along with Germany, France and Australia, where the Country Music Association has grown its marketing.
“Their audience … is the most like Nashville of any audience we’ve seen,” Spyridon said. “They’re friendly. They like our music.”
However, tourism is not just the effort of the CVC. A group of a dozen southeastern states worked together to market in Japan. And a single brand like Jack Daniel’s whiskey can move masses.
Tags: international tourists, nashville