The Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism announced the host communities for the 2003 and 2004 Governor’s Conference on Tourism…
The Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism announced the host communities for the 2003 and 2004 Governor’s Conference on Tourism. Bids were submitted from communities and venues throughout the State to host the conference over the next two years. Augusta won the bid to host the 2003 conference on September 24-26 and the 2004 conference will be held in Statesboro, September 15-17.
Deputy Commissioner of Tourism Janis Cannon says, Everyone who submitted bids did an outstanding job of presenting the unique culture, personality, and benefits of their community. The Governor’s Conference on Tourism is a preeminent opportunity for idea exchange and marketing innovation. The conference addresses the role of tourism in Georgia’s economy, as the State’s second largest industry. It provides a forum to discuss business development and strategy.
The 2002 Tourism Conference held in Atlanta had 485 public, private, government and industrial professionals in attendance. The conference provided a forum for discussion on the challenges and opportunities faced in a changing world, an economic forecast for the industry, current travel trends, the development of a strategic plan, methods of supplementing tourism dollars and how to develop tourism products. The 2003 annual conference will also provide educational workshops, receptions, panel discussions and presentation of Georgia tourism awards.
The State planning committee for the 2003 and 2004 Tourism Conferences is focused on broadening the scope of the conference. GDITT is asking for new ideas from industry leaders to build upon the existing program. The Governor’s Conference on Tourism also provides an outstanding networking opportunity for members of the travel industry to learn about best practices in promoting local and regional attractions.
In FY 2001, the economic impact of the tourism industry, due to tourist expenditures, was $16.1 billion. 9,000 businesses and 200,000 jobs are supported by tourism, saving every household $245 in taxes. According to Travel Industry of America (TIA) research, Georgia ranked 9th in domestic travel spending and 11th in international travel spending among all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The Visitor Information Centers had over 16 million visitors last year and assisted with 20,006 reservations for a total of $1,081,341.00 revenue generated. The total economic impact of those hotel stays was $5,301,216.00.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
