09/04/2026
I've seen several posts this week about Tennessee and the drop-off in foreign tourism. Of course, those posts have comment threads that are full of bots and disgusting cultural racism.
As a contrast, I thought I'd give you a real life glimpse at how this change has affected a small business, namely mine.
I've owned and operated this music history walking tour in downtown Nashville for the past fourteen years. At least 50% of my clientele (that I've built by tireless work and word of mouth reviews) over the years has come from Canada and the UK. I attribute a lot of that to the deep interest in country music history that you tend to find in both places.
But thanks to tariffs, endless denigration of our allies and neighbors, and random ICE arrests and refusals of entry, that 50% has shrunk to 5%. It has seriously hurt my business. I've also watched long-term relationships with several Canadian companies who booked private corporate tours with me over the years all but disappear. They all tell me that they love me but not our current leadership.
This is how it is.
It's frustrating, to say the least. And I've yet to hear a single convincing, fact-based argument that any of this administration's policies - namely, the tariffs and the immigration crackdown - are helping to improve the lives of ordinary Americans like myself.
