Nashville tourism and visitor spending took a major hit during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Music City has seen far less visitor spending during the past few months after restaurants and bars were forced to close, along with a temporary ban on and continued drop in domestic flights, in response to the spread of COVID-19.
Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. announced the city has lost $2.86 billion in visitor spending due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is expected to lose an additional $1 billion by the end of 2020, FOX 17 News reports.
Nashville's hospitality industry has also seen a severe decrease in revenue. Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. reports some hotels are still temporarily closed while at least 27 restaurants and bars have shut down operations permanently, with more than 50% citing COVID-19 as the reason, FOX 17 News reports.
On Tuesday, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. launched the "Love Thy Neighborhoods" project, which is urging residents to support local businesses in the heart of Nashville. A green music note decal will identify the more than 700 local businesses in compliance with Metro's "Good to Go" program in partnership with Vanderbilt Health.
Additionally, the program will provide discounts to locals with many restaurants, including Oak Steakhouse and Nelson's Green Brier Distillery, offering specials, which will include new deals added each week.
Photo: Getty Images