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“A 3.8 Out Of 100”: Nashville Ranked 4th On List Of “World’s Biggest Tourist Trap Cities”
This is one list where you’d rather not land in the Top 5.
Nashville continues to be one of the premiere tourist destinations in the United States. 16.9 million people visited Nashville in 2024, and that annual visitor number is expected to gradually increase in the next couple of years. People evidently can’t get enough of the pedal taverns, artist-owned bars, hot chicken, and $15 beers.
Though millions flock to “Music City” to immerse themselves in the country music and “culture” of Nashville, those that used to visit a decade ago barely recognize what the city has become. It’s safe to say that much of the Broadway strip and surrounding Downtown Nashville area have gone corporate, and the charm that used to draw in the masses has been replaced with charmless establishments (that often have a country music star’s name slapped on the outside).
Why is that happening? Well, a lot of it has to do with “Old Nashville” establishments being priced out. Rent for properties continues to rise in the area, and thanks to new property appraisals in Nashville, there’s a concern that a lot of the bars and restaurants located on Broadway and elsewhere in Downtown Music City could soon shutter.
Basically, the new property appraisals that were completed in 2024 have raised property taxes to heights that have never been seen before. Rob Mortenson, the head of the Broadway Entertainment Association, told FOX17 that the rising taxes could very well spell the end for some of staples of the Broadway scene:
“These are folks that have been there for 40 years on Broadway, and, you know, they can’t pay the taxes. Their option is, I was told, we’re either going to go bankrupt or go to jail, one of the two, because we literally can’t pay the taxes.”
There’s no doubt that Nashville has become a hotspot in recent years. The city’s growth has been astronomical, and that growth has resulted in property value – specifically in Davidson County, where the city of Nashville is located – to rise over 40%. You might think, “Oh, that’s great! People’s property is worth more now.” That might be true, but the hidden negative that comes with it: property taxes rise with property value.
And as more and more Nashville staples close down or move out, there’s not a lot of authentic experiences remaining, and only the big corporations can afford to locate on and around Broadway. From my vantage point, the town is prioritizing tourists over locals, and apparently tourists just want copy-and-paste bars that “belong” to some of their favorite country artists. There’s no other way to put it… but a stroll down Broadway feels more corporate now than it does Nashville.
That’s why a new ranking from InsureAndGo ranked Nashville as No. 4 on the list of the world’s Top 15 Tourist Trap Cities. They gave “Music City” an authenticity score of 3.8 out of ONE HUNDRED, which is just diabolical. But when you hear their explanation, it kind of makes sense:
“Known as the ‘Country Music Capital of the World,’ Nashville has been a standout destination for those who want to get immersed in the music genre’s history for quite some time. However, the famous Broadway strip has lost a bit of its shine the more it curates for visitors. Branded bars and polished venues overshadow the more organic local music scene, contributing to its lower authenticity score according to those who’ve been there.”
Only Chicago, Venice, and Las Vegas ranked higher than Nashville on the list.
In defense of “Music City,” there’s still some authentic places around the city… you just won’t find them on Broadway (maybe besides Robert’s Western World). You’ll hardly ever see a local bar-hopping on the famous downtown street nowadays, and that’s because they stopped making the trek to Broadway as all of the authentic Honky Tonks were pushed out.
But millions and millions of people keep traveling to Nashville, so though it might be a tourist trap… it’s an effective one at that.The post “A 3.8 Out Of 100”: Nashville Ranked 4th On List Of “World’s Biggest Tourist Trap Cities” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.
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