Nashville attempts to dry out from record flood waters

As the city of Nashville attempts to clean up and dry off after a massive flood wreaked havoc throughout much of the Tennessee capital, tourism is expected to suffer greatly.

Music City's Gaylord Opryland Resort was heavily damaged in the floods and will be closed for the next several months, leaving many conventions without a place to meet. The Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau has been working around the clock to find a new location within the city to host these numerous events. Losing conventions would mean losing big tourism dollars for Nashville.

So far the Humane Society of the United States has stated they will go ahead with their May 12-15 convention in Nashville despite the flood damage. Without the Gaylord Opryland Resort open, Nashville stands to lose 25 percent of its convention business and 20 percent of its hotel tax revenue.

Nashville CVB has expressed that while the city is down they are far from out, with many of their attractions to reopen as early as this weekend. On their official website Nashville CVB wrote, "The music is still playing, attractions and hotels are open, and the greatest support you can give Nashville is to come and visit."

We agree, if you are still looking for a place to visit this summer, why not make it Nashville. Put your tourism dollars to work and help out one of America's most beloved cities.

Source: USA Today

Flickr: jcantroot