Veteran-Owned Company is Quietly Redefining the Nashville Tourism Scene

As tourism trends pivot sharply toward authenticity and experience-driven travel, one Nashville-based company is setting the pace—and it’s not one of the city’s big tour bus operators. It’s a nimble, veteran-owned business called Nashville Adventures, and it’s turning Nashville Walking Tours into something far more impactful than a sightseeing checklist.

Founded by combat veteran and historian Paul Whitten, Nashville Adventures is quietly carving out a new space in the city’s competitive tourism landscape—where storytelling, community ties, and historical insight come first, and flash takes a backseat.

In a city packed with pedal taverns, party buses, and neon-lit distractions, Nashville Adventures is making waves by doing the opposite: slowing visitors down and inviting them to connect with the city on a human level.

From Sidewalks to Storylines

What sets Nashville Adventures apart isn’t just its approach—it’s its philosophy. While many companies focus on high-volume tours and photo ops, this business focuses on something much more personal: meaning. Its Nashville History Tours walk guests through the city’s hidden corners, offering insight into how the Civil War, Reconstruction, Prohibition, and the civil rights movement shaped the city into what it is today.

Instead of reciting memorized facts, the guides—many of whom are veterans, historians, or artists—tell stories that link local events to national movements. Visitors might stand on the same cobblestones where Andrew Jackson walked or trace the remnants of Black Nashville’s cultural foundations. But beyond those facts, they’re also encouraged to reflect on what that history means in the present day.

The Shift Toward Experience-First Tourism

This approach isn’t just novel—it’s aligned with a broader global trend. Experiential travel has grown significantly in the last five years. According to a report by Skift Research, over two-thirds of travelers now say they prioritize experiences over material goods when planning trips. That demand has given rise to more customized, immersive options—and Nashville Adventures is seizing that opportunity.

“We’ve seen a shift from travelers asking ‘what can I see?’ to ‘what can I understand?’” says one guide for the company. “That shift plays to our strengths.”

Their Nashville Walking Tours are designed to feel more like conversations than lectures. Whether through a Civil War leadership experience for corporate groups or a whiskey-and-moonshine tasting paired with music history, every tour aims to engage, not just educate.

A Veteran’s Vision and a Civic Mission

What’s also notable is how this business grew from humble beginnings. After returning from military service and time in international development, founder Paul Whitten started giving volunteer tours as a hobby. His passion for public history—combined with a deep local knowledge of Nashville—evolved into something much larger: a successful business with a mission.

Whitten built the company with no physical storefront, keeping overhead low while reinvesting into his guides and partnerships. Nashville Adventures donates 1% of all revenue to veteran-focused nonprofits and often collaborates with local distilleries, restaurants, and historic venues to keep money circulating within the community.

That community-first model hasn’t gone unnoticed. The company was honored with the 2025 Nashville Hitmakers Award for its impact on the local tourism scene and has been featured in The Tennessean, USA Today, and on multiple broadcast news outlets.

High-Touch, High-Tech

Despite its roots in traditional walking tours, Nashville Adventures isn’t shying away from technology. The company uses data-driven strategies to refine its offerings and digital tools to enhance the customer experience. Online booking is seamless. Customer reviews consistently reference not only the quality of information, but also the engagement—a factor often lacking in more commercialized tours.

Whitten and his team actively monitor trends in online search behavior. Their website and ad campaigns are optimized for rising queries like “authentic Nashville tours” and “non-touristy things to do in Nashville.” And with over 100 five-star Google reviews, their approach appears to be resonating.

Nashville, Seen Differently

The company’s success highlights a broader truth about modern tourism: visitors are craving something real. As cities like Nashville continue to grapple with growth, gentrification, and cultural commodification, companies like Nashville Adventures offer an important counterweight. They remind both visitors and residents that history isn’t just in the museums—it’s in the streets, the buildings, and the voices of the people who know them best.

As Whitten puts it in interviews, “We’re not here to just entertain. We’re here to interpret. To connect. And to make sure Nashville’s story is told with depth.”

That mission has guided the business into new offerings. The company now provides customized corporate tours, leadership-focused historical experiences, and educational programming for students. And while others race to scale, Nashville Adventures remains focused on something much harder to replicate: soul.

Walking Into the Future

The tourism industry is changing—and Nashville Adventures is a prime example of how small, focused businesses are helping to shape that evolution. As big travel operators struggle to personalize, it’s often the smaller, community-based businesses that are best equipped to meet the moment.

For Nashville, that means looking beyond the bachelorette buses and neon honky-tonks. It means walking the streets, listening to voices that know the city’s past, and understanding how that history continues to echo into the present.

And if that sounds like a history tour—it is. Just not the kind you’re used to.