October 1998

Today's column is being written by Thor, who -- we warn you -- is not
as "nice" as Jeannie J.....READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.


Today in Nashville, representatives of the tourist industry met to
discuss how to promote tourism year round in Music City. Now that
the summer travel season is over, it's official: tourism was way down.
The main reason is the closing of Opryland theme park. A secondary
reason is that many people thought the  spring tornadoes had left
Nashville devastated. The loss of the park was a severe blow, so
much so that the head of Gaylord Entertainment "apologized"
to the tourism industry for the severe effect the decision had.
The tornadoes caused damage, but we've almost entirely recovered.
We don't need official figures to know that tourism was off. Just
last summer the gift shops near Music Row were filled with people
every day. There was color and movement and noise -- uh, music --
with "battling kareoke" booming from every block. This year . . .
well, it's been a lot quieter. Instead of the  crowds of past years,
there's usually a couple or lone tourist looking confused and lost.

But we don't entirely blame Gaylord and Opryland for the problem.
We know from writing and reporting on events in Nashville that
there's never a day or night without a choice of activities. Maybe
it's  not prepackaged all in one place like a theme park, but it's
out there. Every corner and every hotel, motel and restaurant
has guides to activities. We've taken people by the hand
and walked them to a stack of entertainment guides (there's
usually a selection in our lobby), opened them up and pointed.
For some reason, the person being so guided still seems frustrated
and usually walks away making little whiney noises.

Just today, I had someone call and ask where to take a weekend
visitor to Nashville, someone who really loved country music.
(The person who called wasn't a visitor, but had live here for
over a year.) Well, we have the Opry and live music all over
town, everywhere from the Wildhorse to Music Valley Drive.

Every newspaper carries numerous notices and ads. By making a
little effort, you can find real music ranging from quiet writers
nights to full-fledged show bands. Okay, maybe the performers
don't wear matching costumes, but they're real -- not just imitators
doing cover tunes. TNN has tapings. Call 'em up. The number's in
the book. We have historic sites and shopping malls and
festivals and theaters and parks and clubs and more. I heard a visitor
ask a young person if there "was anything to do in Nashville." The
reply: "No, not a thing -- unless you belong to a health club and
like to work out." Strong body. Weak mind.

Okay, now that I've got that off my chest, here's another beef: while
official figures show that the overwhelming majority of visitors
to Nashville come here because of country music, every tourism pitch
I've heard since moving to Nashville is a move to de-emphasize that
attraction. "We're more than country music!" they cry. "We have sports!" "We have history" "We have culture." That's great, but why not give people what they want, as much as they want. It's like going to a Chinese restaurant and trying to order won ton soup and the waiter says "but we have minestrone; we have chili -- we're not just Chinese, you know."

The mayor did offer some wisdom when he stated the obvious at today's meeting. He said the city's tourism had relied too much on Gaylord Entertainment. Gaylord owned the park and still owns the Wildhorse,
the Ryman, Opryland Hotel, and the Grand Ole Opry, among other things.While the Gaylord attractions are well-advertised and best
known, we have much more. If someone asks if there’s anything to do
in Nashville, tell them to check the newspaper, let their fingers do the
walking, look around, listen, explore, have an adventure. Be creative. I would offer more advice, but right now I'm busy. There’s just too much
to see and do.

Jeannie J will be back next week with her coverage
of a special VIP party.