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Tourism Industry Converges on Capitol
Tourism Day at the Capitol 2008
News Release
Atlanta, GA - 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 enlightened 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."
©2007 - 2008 Tourism Development Alliance of Georgia
233 Peachtree Street, NE | Suite 2000 | Atlanta, GA 30303 |
T: 404-223-2264 |
