L-R: Marsha Saum, Hal Williams, Janet Rodgers and Dotty Etris, along with Marty Williams and Kym Hughes distributed promotional Candy Bars showcasing Georgia’s Hospitality Highway at Georgia’s Tourism Day at the Capitol on January 29th, 2008.
Janet Rodgers, President Alpharetta Convention & Visitors Bureau and Dotty Etris, Executive Director of Roswell Convention & Visitors Bureau, were co-chairs of this year’s Tourism Celebration. All 9 of the state’s travel regions set up displays to showcase their areas. Highlight of the day was the proclamation by the Governor recognizing Georgia’s Tourism Industry and its importance to the State and the presentation of a large check in the amount of $811,500,000.00 (representing the impact of tourism in State tax).
Tourism continues to generate jobs and revenue for Georgia's private and public sectors, despite problems in other parts of the economy.
Georgia drew 61.7 million domestic visitors in 2006, the majority of which were leisure travelers according to a comprehensive study conducted by the Research Department of the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) for the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). These numbers translated into profits and job gains for all Georgians, the study found, as the group spent more than $17.7 billion in the state during their stay. Those funds in return generated 219,300 jobs, $6.2 billion in payroll income and $1.3 million in tax revenues for state and local governments.
"Tourism enhances the quality of life for all Georgians," says Peter Bowden, President of the Georgia Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus and President-CEO of the Columbus Convention & Visitors Bureau. Bowden continues saying, "Our tourism assets create an atmosphere that makes Georgia a great place to live, work, and play."
Moreover, profits , jobs, and taxes rose between 2005 and 2006. Georgia leaders recognize the contribution of travel and tourism to the state, and today tourism leaders from across the state are at the Capitol to showcase tourism assets and to thank elected officials for their support of the tourism industry.
With that in mind, the Georgia Association of Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Tourism Development Alliance of Georgia are asking state legislators to address three issue in 2008:
- The original intent of hotel tax is tourism promotion. The hotel tax code needs to be simplified to protect funds for tourism promotion and give local government more flexibility in developing tourism product.
- Georgia ranks last in the Southeast in state funding for tourism promotion. In Metro Atlanta alone, tourism businesses spend over $35 million in advertising, but a cohesive statewide effort is critical to grow Georgia tourism. Increase funding from $5 million to $15 million for the tourism division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development to advertise, market, and promote Georgia as a tourist destination.
- Support passage of HB 451 the Tourism Development Act which provides incentives for developers of qualified tourism projects, with special emphasis on land use and product redevelopment.
"As this critical juncture in our state's economic history, tourism is soon poised to be the number one industry in Georgia," says Chuck Jones, Chairman of the Tourism Development Alliance of Georgia and Executive Director for the Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau. He furthers states, "Our enlighten General Assembly is recognizing the impressive tourism marketing return on investment and is encouraged to protect funding at the local level for tourism promotion and to fund he state's tourism marketing budget at a level that will make Georgia more competitive with its neighboring state's spending, thus increasing tax revenues for our state and tax savings for all Georgians."
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