Being an American institution doesn’t automatically put you on every international traveler’s itinerary. GetYourGuide helped the Grand Ole Opry turn its cultural pull into bookings from new audiences overseas.
Fame at home was never the issue for the Grand Ole Opry. One hundred years in, playing its stage remains a career milestone for country artists. Where it needed help was abroad; GetYourGuide is now the Opry's best-performing OTA for international markets, reaching travelers who might've otherwise missed out on the Opry's iconic show and backstage tour.
From its humble beginnings as a radio broadcast in late 1925, the Grand Ole Opry has become the beating heart of Nashville’s music culture. Yet, like many heritage attractions, the Grand Ole Opry faced a familiar challenge: how to fill those remaining seats when direct bookings plateau at around 75% capacity?
“OTAs give us access to audiences we simply couldn't reach otherwise,” says Travis Wilson, the Director of Sales at Opry Entertainment Group. “Our guests may not see our website at the top of their search results, but they’re seeing our tours highlighted as ‘great things to do in Nashville’ on GetYourGuide.”
Here, Travis discusses how GetYourGuide expanded the Opry's sales, why guests who can't name a single country song still leave five-star reviews, and why advance bookings from overseas guests are so valuable for forecasting and staffing.
A lot of your guests couldn’t name a single country song. Why does the Opry land with them anyway?
When you hear of something with a 100-year tenure, it piques your interest: “wow, this has been going on for 100 years, maybe it's something I need to experience.”
We see that come back in our reviews too, with people openly admitting they’re not country fans, but that they had the best time at the Opry.
The format helps, too; it’s a variety show, with six to eight artists every night. We feature mostly country, but there’s pop, folk, rock, and even comedy. Chances are, you’re going to like at least a couple of them each night.
What has the Opry meant to Nashville and to American culture?
Would Nashville be the city it is today without the Grand Ole Opry? I honestly don't think so.
People have been coming to Nashville to follow their dreams and write music, and part of that catalyst is knowing the home of country music is here. So many iconic people had the dream of just playing the Grand Ole Opry, let alone becoming a member.
From an Americana perspective, the Opry and country music are at the very core of our nation. The Opry was invited to Carnegie Hall as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebration.
What inspired you to partner with GetYourGuide?
When I joined the Opry in 2019, about 75% of our house was booked through direct channels. The challenge was simple: how do we push our occupancy to 80 or 85%?
That’s where OTAs came in. Partnering with a solid company like GetYourGuide, which has a global presence, brand loyalty, and that professional look, has helped us capture those bookings.
It gives us access to audiences we simply wouldn’t reach otherwise.
Was there a moment you realized the partnership was making a real difference?
I’ve dropped other OTA partnerships because the time and effort didn't make sense and there was no proof in bookings. With GetYourGuide, I could see it was impactful right away.
We did around $200K in revenue in our first year, which seems small when you consider our total revenue of $60 million for this product, but in our world – $200K is $200K. Critically, it’s incremental revenue. If guests hadn’t found us on your site, they might not have come at all.
Now we’re up to over $300K in annual revenue, and I expect that to continue growing as GetYourGuide expands its presence in Nashville and across the US.
What is it like to work with GetYourGuide as a supplier?
There’s the willingness to work with us on the build-outs. We’re a bit of an anomaly, with 220-230 annual shows with different artists every time, plus a backstage tour that can be booked every 15 minutes. So, there’s a lot that goes into the build-outs, and GetYourGuide has never questioned it. They just said: “Send us the info, and we’ll build it.”
Meanwhile, some of the other OTA platforms make us do all the heavy lifting on their software, even though we’re not the experts. That just wastes our time.
How have GetYourGuide bookings changed your visitor profile?
It’s been transformative for international bookings; GetYourGuide is our biggest driver of international bookings among our OTA partners.
Nearly 60% of our GetYourGuide guests are from outside the US. Our top markets are the UK, Ireland, and Canada.
What’s also interesting is the booking pattern. GetYourGuide bookings tend to come 30-60 days in advance. For us, that’s great as it gives us a stable base of bookings further out, aiding us with forecasting and staffing.
What stands out about working with GetYourGuide day to day?
First, our account managers (shoutout to Peter) have always been incredibly responsive and easy to work with. That matters a lot when you’re running a complex operation such as ours.
What GetYourGuide tools help manage guest bookings most effectively?
The guest chat message on reservations is great.
For any booking through GetYourGuide, we send a confirmation with the reservation details to their email. So if a guest calls us with a question about their reservation, we can see the message that was sent via the chat and give them the details of their order right there on the phone.
What does growth look like for the Grand Ole Opry?
Growth for us is threefold.
First, we’re targeting a younger demographic. Country music is synonymous with older audiences and we’d like to change that perception. The goal is to create a more modern, digital-age feel that appeals to younger demographics while honoring our heritage.
One of the potential ways we'll do that is by reimagining some of the design elements with the plaza and the Opry entrance, and the overall pre-show experience, to make them more robust and interactive.
Second, it’s international markets, which is where GetYourGuide really helps.
Third, and this is critical, we’re working on API integrations with our ticketing system to unlock last-minute bookings. Now, we have to cut off OTA bookings 48 hours in advance to allow for our ticketing software to process the orders in time.
Once we get that ticketing system integration with GetYourGuide and other OTA partners in place, there’s real potential to unlock more growth.
What would you tell another operator who's skeptical about working with OTAs?
Sure, there’s that fear that OTAs will cannibalize your direct bookings. But these platforms are genuinely good at what they do.
Our guests may not see our website at the top of their search results, but they’re seeing our tours highlighted as “great things to do in Nashville” on GetYourGuide. That’s been a huge benefit to us.
If you choose not to work with reputable OTAs, that’s when you’re really going to miss out on revenue. They’re a force; they’re really good at what they do, and they have great tools, resources, and support systems to help you sell and market your services.
What matters most when growing a major visitor attraction?
It’s all about how a guest feels when they’re experiencing your attraction.
Do they feel connected to the attraction, to your brand, and to the artists? Obviously, we can’t do a meet-and-greet with everybody, but when artists talk to their audience about their journey to play at the Opry, the audience connects with them.
There’s a lot that goes into creating that feeling; that’s what we’re betting on.
Key Takeaways:
- Unlock incremental revenue. Partnering with GetYourGuide has helped the Opry reach people who might not otherwise have come to the show. Annual revenue through the platform has grown by more than 50% since the first year.
- Look beyond your domestic audience. Nearly 60% of the Opry’s GetYourGuide guests come from outside the US, led by the UK, Ireland, and Canada. International markets are now one of the Opry’s main areas for growth.
- Choose OTA partners that make your operation easier. With 220+ shows a year, changing artist line-ups, and backstage tours every 15 minutes, the Opry has a complex product to manage. Responsive account support and help with product build-outs reduce the workload for its team.
- Use advance bookings to plan ahead. GetYourGuide bookings typically arrive 30 to 60 days in advance, giving the Opry a stronger base for forecasting and staffing.
- Appeal beyond your core audience. Many Opry guests arrive without considering themselves country music fans. Its mix of six to eight artists, multiple genres, and comedy gives visitors several ways to connect with the show.
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