City tweets to curb tourist drop-off - Nashville Business Journal:

Hotel rates are down 6 percent, attractions are deepening discounts and gas is almost half the price of last summer. Still, a nationwide recession is putting the squeeze on Music City’s second largest industry as it enters the summer tourist season. Hotel consultant Drew Dimond expects hotels in Greater Nashville to see occupancy plummet 15 percent to 20 percent from last year’s levels.

But the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau is battling the decline, in hopes of keeping any occupancy drop-off below 5 percent. Bureau staff is Twittering, Facebooking and sending out e-blasts to announce free stuff to do, last-minute travel deals, CMA Music Festival updates and attractions specials...