Business View Magazine March 2023

76 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 3 momentum as a top global destination, and we will always keep an eye on managing our growth and staying true to our Music City brand.” “It is an honor to represent the vibrant and successful hospitality industry in Greater Nashville,” said Leesa LeClaire, President and CEO of the Greater Nashville Hospitality Association. “Our industry is a vital part of the entire state and local economy. We have a wonderful array of job opportunities from entry- level to executive and beyond. From investing to visiting, Greater Nashville has something for everyone.” October 2022 was a record month for the city in the number of hotel room nights sold, for the first time exceeding 900,000 which is the most room nights ever sold for a single month in Nashville. It not only reflects the pandemic recovery for the city but also the resilience of the city’s tourism industry. Further proof of recovery is the record number of hotel room nights sold in FY22, nearly 9 million, up 5% from the previous record year in FY19. As well, hotel tax collections in FY22 were a record $112 million, nearly 30% higher than the previous record year in FY19. But while the city is selling more hotel room nights than ever before, there are more rooms to sell. Investment in Nashville has been strong, and the city’s hotel room supply has grown at an equally impressive rate. More than 6,500 new hotel rooms have opened since June 2019, and almost 4,000 are currently under construction. Nashville is forecast to have more than 40,100 hotel rooms by 2024. In fact, Nashville is the second-fastest growing