Tourism August '04 in review . . . Volume 29 August Gov. Perdue Trish Taylor (left) Nija Vereen (right) EVENTS Preparations are well underway for the 2004 Governor's Conference on Tourism at the Nessmith-Lane Continuing Education Building on the campus of Georgia Southern University in Statesboro. The event is hosted by the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), Tourism Division. Over 400 tourism industry partners and employees attended the 2003 conference in Augusta. This year's attendance is also expected to be high for the September 15-17 event. Governor Sonny Perdue will be the keynote speaker during the conference and present the annual Tourism Awards during a special luncheon September 17. Opening the conference will be Honorary Chairman and President and CEO of Georgia Electric Membership Corporation Paul Wood. GDEcD Commissioner Craig Lesser and Deputy Commissioner for Tourism Janis Cannon will also give updates on the economic impact and marketing of tourism in Georgia. For a copy of the conference agenda and topics go to www.MarketGeorgia.org. The Southeast Tourism Society (STS) Annual Marketing College was held in Dahlonega August 1-6. Several GDEcD, Tourism Division Regional Representatives and Atlanta staff members participated in the college courses. GDEcD Communications Manager Trish Taylor and Sales Assistant Nija Vereen were in the third-year graduating class and are now certified as Travel Marketing Professionals (TMP). STS Marketing College's three-year curriculum is a marketing professional certification program, which provides professional development courses taught by hospitality and tourism top professionals. Graduation awards will be distributed during the STS Spring meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi. REVENUES RESEARCH/ FULLFILLMENT According to the latest Smith Travel Research Standard Historical TREND report, Georgia hotel revenues are up 8.9% for the first seven months of 2004 over 2003. This equals an increase of $122 million in revenues. All travel regions showed an increase of at least 5%, with Southern Rivers and Coastal regions showing 9.6% and 13% respectively. For the month of July, statewide Georgia hotel revenues were up 8.48% over July of 2003. This equals an increase of $18 million in revenues. The Southern Rivers region showed the highest increase at 15%, with the north Georgia Mountain region showing the second highest increase of 11%. Tourism August '04 in review . . . Volume 29 August Georgia's Call Center Student FAM Georgia's call center provides a valuable service to the state by helping answer thousands of questions from callers requesting information about Georgia locations or accommodations. The Atlanta office provides 1-800-VISIT GA operators with information gathered from industry partners about new and updated attractions, events, and accommodation facilities throughout Georgia, so they can be efficient frontline representatives for the state. Training missions are held on a continual basis to make sure operators are up to date. SALES/ GROUP TOURS The student and youth market is the fastest growing market segment in the U.S., according to the Student & Youth Travel Association (SYTA). In response to this growth, GDEcD in conjunction with the Atlanta Metro Travel Association hosted a student travel planners familiarization tour in Atlanta and the northwest area of Georgia. Student travel planners from as far away as Minnesota and Rhode Island spent four days in Georgia visiting over 27 attractions and learning about programs created with students in mind. Laurie Rowe, GDEcD Director of Domestic Group Sales, reports that business has already been booked from this tour and additional student travel promotions will be held in the near future in other areas of Georgia. PR/MEDIA RELATIONS A huge public relations campaign began in August for the "Grand Opening" of Albany's Flint RiverQuarium on September 3. National news organizations such as CNN, USA Today, and the New York Times were only a few of the outlets targeted to highlight one of south Georgia's largest and newest attractions. The $30 million RiverQuarium's largest attraction is a 175,000-gallon, 22-foot deep, open-air Blue Hole filled with the fish, reptiles and plants found in the Flint River's ecosystem. It also offers visitors 15,000 sq. ft. of discovery and adventure through high-tech, interactive exhibits; crawl-through caverns; and fresh and saltwater exhibits highlighting natural habitats of the 350-mile Flint River and rivers around the world. The Flint RiverQuarium is a non-profit, 501(c) (3) organization and is the keystone of Albany's downtown revitalization program. For more information go to www.flintriverquarium.com Tourism August '04 in review . . . Volume 29 August Cumberland Island Cumberland Island is making national news. The Georgia island was chosen by the Travel Channel to be featured on their America's Top 10 Beautiful Beaches segment. A camera crew arrived on Cumberland Island on August 2 to shoot footage and the story will air when the show premiers in March 2005 on the Travel Channel. Please note: new contact information for Georgia Tourism Division Communications Manager Trish Croll (Taylor). Public relations professionals interested in posting tourism related press releases on the state web site should send them electronically in a word attachment to Trish Taylor at ttaylor@georgia.org. Trish Taylor www.gastateparks.org Cuscowila Golf Resort Cuscowila Staff WHAT'S NEW Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites are creating a new addition to their website, www.gastateparks.org, for the upcoming leaf season - LeafWatch 2004. Visitors will be able to find out the most up-to-date foliage information at LeafWatch 2004, a link that includes information on when and where the leaves will be at their peak color. State park officials say the site will be updated daily and includes educational information on why the leaves change colors. They will also provide updated information on what parks are less crowded and reservation updates for lodge rooms, cottages and tent sites. ANNOUNCEMENTS Congratulations to Cuscowilla Golf Resort on Lake Oconee for being named by Golfweek Magazine as the Best Residential Golf Course in America in 2004. Golfweek has published an annual list of golf course rankings since 1997 and Cuscowilla held the #2 ranking in 2003. Making the list is an achievement due to the rigorous process a course has to undergo. The Top 100 courses must be visited by at least 10 raters to be eligible for a ranking; the rankings are then calculated using a statistically rigorous process over a total of 10 different criteria. Cuscowilla is not the only Georgia golf course to make the prestigious list. Six other Georgia courses placed on the Top 100 list including Reynolds Plantation, Great Waters (#52); The Oconee Course at Reynolds (#56); The National Course at Reynolds (#69); Harbor Club, Greensboro (#82); Landings at Skidaway Island Deer Creek (#90); Osprey Cove, and St. Marys (#97). The full list of the Top 100 Residential Golf Courses in order of their rank will be featured in the October issue of Golfweek Magazine. Tourism August '04 in review . . . Volume 29 August The two-year-old Dodge Tour de Georgia cycling race began its transition in August by moving from GDEcD into an independent organization wholly owned and operated by a private, not-for-profit foundation. The race's worldwide recognition and tremendous progress has enabled it to move forward quickly and continue its growth as a premier event, which provides an economic boost to Georgia's economy. "We will continue to serve as a financial sponsor of the race and will also continue to provide marketing assistance and other types of support," Craig Lesser, GDEcD commissioner said. "The Dodge Tour de Georgia staff has done tremendous work. Stan Holm, Kathleen Hardison, Karen O'Neill and Tom Roberson, who will move to the Foundation with this change, have all worked hard to bring the race to this point. Please join me in congratulating them on the terrific job they have done taking the Tour from a dream to a world-class event, and on their continued momentum as an independent organization." Industry e-newsletter Please continue to help spread the word that Georgia's Tourism Division has a new name and address. As of July 1, 2004, the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism was renamed the Georgia Department of Economic Development and moved to midtown Atlanta. Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Tourism Division 75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 1200 Atlanta, GA 30308 If you know of anyone who is not currently receiving the monthly industry e-newsletter and would like to, please have them contact Trish at ttaylor@georgia.org. For recent issues, check out www.MarketGeorgia.org under "Media" and "Newsletters." Also, under "Media" click on "Regional Updates" to find out all the latest information in the state's individual travel regions. REGIONAL UPDATE For information about what is happening in Georgia Tourism's Nine Travel Regions go to: http://www.georgia.org/tourism/market_ga/media/regional_ updates.asp