Visitors Spent $31.8 Million a Day in Nashville in 2025. How Neighborhood Businesses Get Their Share, Off Broadway

Short answer: Visitors spent a record $11.6 billion in Davidson County in 2025, an average of $31.8 million a day, according to the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. Much of that spending stays downtown, but a growing number of travelers want the "local" Nashville: a neighborhood restaurant, a record shop, a coffee roaster, a songwriter round. Businesses in East Nashville, Germantown, The Nations, Wedgewood-Houston and beyond can capture that spending by showing up where visitors plan, making it easy to get there, and giving them a story worth sharing.

01What's happening

• Record spending. Visitors spent $11.6 billion in Nashville in 2025, up 3.5% from 2024, according to the NCVC and NewsChannel 5. It takes the next four Tennessee counties combined to exceed Nashville's total.
• Still growing. Gaylord Opryland, Bridgestone Arena and Nashville International Airport are expanding, and Music City Center is planning future expansion.
• Demand for local. Travel coverage, such as a 2026 Chowhound guide to restaurants off Broadway, steers visitors toward neighborhood spots, which redirects spending into local economies.
• But costs bite. Local owners face rising rents and taxes, so capturing visitor revenue matters more than ever.

How to get found by visitors

1. Answer the questions visitors ask

Visitors search and ask AI tools things like "best hot chicken that isn't on Broadway," "brunch in East Nashville," or "where locals go for live music." Create content and profile details that answer those questions directly. Clear, specific answers help you appear in AI search results as well as Google.

2. Make your Google Business Profile visitor-ready

List the neighborhood, how far you are from downtown, parking or rideshare tips, reservation links, kids' and group policies, and hours on event days. Add fresh photos monthly. Visitors choose between unfamiliar options on photos and recent reviews. See our local SEO work.

3. Use the event calendar

CMA Fest, July 4th, big concerts, SEC and Titans games, and conventions bring surges of visitors. Plan specials, extended hours and geo-targeted paid ads around those dates. Target people searching for Nashville trips in the weeks before.

4. Create short video that travels

A 20-second clip of your kitchen, your stage or your regulars does more than any ad to convince a visitor to make the trip. Post on Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts with location tags. Our video and content team can produce it weekly.

5. Partner with hotels, short-term rentals and tour guides

Concierges, rental hosts and tour operators recommend places every day. Give them a simple card or link with a guest perk, and track it with a code.

6. Turn visitors into word of mouth

Ask happy guests for reviews and photos while they're still in town. Visitors' reviews help the next visitor, and repeat visitors often return to the same spots.

What to measure

Track out-of-town customers (zip code at booking or checkout), Google direction requests, review volume, and revenue on event weekends. Growth there shows visitors are finding you.

See how we work with Nashville businesses, including restaurants and local retail.

FAQ

How much do visitors spend in Nashville? A record $11.6 billion in 2025, or about $31.8 million a day, according to the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp.

How can a restaurant outside downtown attract tourists? Be easy to find in visitor searches and AI answers, highlight neighborhood character, use short video, and partner with hotels and rental hosts.

When should Nashville businesses advertise to visitors? In the weeks before major events and peak seasons, targeting people researching Nashville trips, plus geo-targeted ads during big events.

Sources

• Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp: Record $11.6 billion in visitor spending in 2025
• NewsChannel 5: Nashville tourism hits record $11.6 billion
• Chowhound via Pulse: Skip Broadway, a local's go-to Nashville restaurants
• WSMV: How 12 South has priced out local owners