Tourism in Nashville is booming and events like the CMA music festival are playing a key role in that.
     In fact, music city just completed its biggest tourism year ever.
Nashville is establishing itself as a force to be reckoned with when it comes to competing for tourist dollars both nationally and internationally.
    The Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau says this record breaking year has been a long time in the making and they don't see it slowing up anytime soon!
Food, fun, art, history and of course music -
Tourist, Tracey Chandler says, “My husband and my best mate love country music so yeah- we thought we would come across.”
If you are looking for it ....Nashville has it and that is exactly why Tracey found herself in Nashville... All the way from Australia
Tracey Chandler says, “It's only the country music that is why we are here, that is the only reason, live country music- because we don't get it at home.”
According to the Nashville Visitors and Conventions Bureau this fiscal year has been record breaking... Just to give you an idea more than 890 thousand rooms were sold in 20-10/20-11 and in 20-11/ 20-12 well over a million rooms were sold.
((CVB total room nights sold fy 10-11: 891,758 CVB total room nights sold fy 11-12: 1,025,035))
Butch Spyridon with the CVB says, “Not since the flood not since the recession - not since 9-11, not since the theme park - best year ever by any measure rooms sold - taxes, visitor spending.”
And it's no surprise.... People around the world are starting to take notice Nashville is a must see.
    Major national and international publications have highlighted all Nashville has to offer.
    Music City has been featured in everything from GQ magazine to spotlighting Nashville's food scene in a New York Times spread.
    And the businesses that cater to tourists like the Music City Trolley Hop say ... They have felt the benefits.
Jennifer Powers, Director of sales and marketing for Greyline TN says, “On our downtown product - sightseeing product alone we are seeing a 15 percent growth over last year which was a banner year- a year after the flood so to see additional growth is just fantastic.”
     Greg Adkins of the Tennessee Hospitality Association says, when tourism and hospitality see success-  so does the entire Nashville economy...
Greg Adkins says, “Hospitality industry is the second largest industry - we are a huge job creator.”
And continuing this trend... Means a stronger Nashville economy.
And tourism officials see an even brighter future.
    The new Music City Convention center is set to open next year.
    The Nashville Visitors and Conventions Bureau says more 730-thousand hotel rooms are already book ahead of the opening.
     Meaning... Nashville is on track to break another record in 2013.
ONLY ON: Nashville Breaks Tourism Record- Erica Shaffer