2022 CMA Fest, July 4th events spotlight Nashville's surging travel and tourism sector

Marcus K. Dowling, Nashville Tennessean
·2 min read

Premium national events pushing long-adored notions and nationalistic fervor are aiding Nashville in meeting and exceeding its unprecedented pre-COVID-19 quarantine heights.

"We are so grateful to work alongside our incredible city partners to make the event a success year after year. Our attendees certainly come to CMA Fest to experience four jam-packed days of Country Music, but we know a significant number use the festival as a chance to visit Nashville," noted Country Music Association CEO Sarah Trahern.

She made this statement upon hearing about recent Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation-released data noting that June 9-12's 49th CMA Fest generated $65.2 million in estimated direct visitor spending. This was a rise from the $64.9 million spent when the event was last held in 2019.

Notable as well was the premier country music festival aiding 875,407 hotel rooms to be sold in Music City in June 2022. That number reflects a 20% year-over-year growth and makes it the single month with the most room nights sold in Davidson County.

As well, CMA Fest also helped push Nashville International Airport's June total passenger numbers to a record level: 1,832,410.

Impressively, for airport passengers and hotel room sales, June 2022 eclipses the records set one month prior in May 2022.

Wendy Moten sings the national anthem during the "Let Freedom Sing!" Music City July 4th event on lower Broadway in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, July 4, 2022.
Wendy Moten sings the national anthem during the "Let Freedom Sing!" Music City July 4th event on lower Broadway in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, July 4, 2022.

July 2022 was no slouch for Nashville events spurring travel to the city, either. Independence Day's "Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th" festivities were headlined by a fireworks display and a concert featuring Old Dominion, Levi Hutton, Gramps Morgan, Wendy Moten, and Cassadee Pope.

The event generated $11 million in direct visitor spending, and an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 attended the previously mentioned concert and fireworks.

On average, two out of three were first-time visitors to Nashville between the two events, and 70 percent of those groups of three chose to stay in hotels for four nights.

Regarding accommodations data, Butch Spyridon, CEO, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp., added, "Major events like these are critical to sustaining our success and filling the unprecedented number of new hotel rooms opening in our city. Nashville ranks second in the country in the construction of hotel rooms as a share of inventory, so we can't take our eye off the ball and must continue to create demand for the city."

For more information on the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp., visit the NCVC’s website at www.visitmusiccity.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 2022 CMA Fest, July 4th events spotlight Nashville's surging travel and tourism sector