Georgia tourism monthly e-newsletter, Sept. 2007

Georgia.org Peachbyte
September 6, 2007
In this issue...
1) GEORGIA'S VISITOR INFORMATION CENTERS WIN MERCURY AWARD 2) GEORGIA ECONOMIC IMPACT FIGURES - DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT OF DOMESTIC TRAVEL 3) 2007 GOVERNOR'S CONFERENCE ON TOURISM LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER 4) GDECD ANNOUNCES THE TECHNOLOGY E-CHALLENGE GRANT WINNERS 5) GEORGIA TOURISM ANNOUNCES THE HOSPITALITY HIGHWAY 6) GDECD RELEASED MODEL TO TRACK ECONOMIC IMPACT OF FAIRS AND FESTIVALS 7) GEORGIA STATE PARKS ONLINE LEAF TRACKING STARTS ON OCTOBER 1 8) COLQUITT COUNTY'S TECHNOLOGY TOURISM FEATURED IN GEORGIA TREND MAGAZINE 9) AUGUSTA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU ACHIEVES DESTINATION MARKETING ACCREDITATION 10) GEORGIA TRAVELER EXPLORES THE SOUTHERN RIVERS REGION 11) SAVANNAH IS GEORGIA'S NEWEST PRESERVE AMERICA COMMUNITY 12) "WINE SPECTATOR" ANNOUNCES AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE 13) AS HOTEL RATES CONTINUE TO CLIMB, TRAVELERS TRADE DOWN 14) TRAVEL TREND: HOTEL PARKING RATES ARE UP 15) ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES VACATIONS SHORTER 16) TRAVEL TREND: GUESTS RUNNING LATE A WAKE UP CALL TO HOTELS 17) SMITH TRAVEL RESEARCH HAS GOOD NEWS FOR GEORGIA HOTEL REVENUE 18) WEB 2.0 CONNECTS TO CUSTOMERS AS TRAVELERS ARRIVE AT FACEBOOK 19) MAJOR EXHIBITION AND MUSICAL TRIBUTE COMMEMORATE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF OTIS REDDING'S PASSING IN HIS HOMETOWN OF MACON
1) GEORGIA'S VISITOR INFORMATION CENTERS WIN MERCURY AWARD The National Council of State Tourism Directors (NCSTD) announced the winners of its 2007 Mercury Awards program recently. The Mercury Award honors the best in state tourism office marketing and promotion programs each year. The Georgia Department of Economic Development's (GDEcD) Visitor Information Centers (VICs) were honored for their Sister Center Network and Hurricane Awareness programs.

The Sister Center Network strengthens partnerships, educates the tourism industry and encourages communication between the state Visitor Information Centers and Regional Visitor Information Center programs. The Sister Center Network motivates and empowers visitor center staff, municipal tourism officials, and volunteers to implement long-term programs for Georgia visitors.
The Hurricane Awareness program allows VIC staff to create a network within the tourism industry to provide evacuees and travelers with accurate and timely information in the event a hurricane threatens Georgia or neighboring states. The Georgia Department of Economic Development produced a proactive booklet in cooperation with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), state and local emergency agencies to formalize a plan of action. This program also offers the opportunity to assist those in need of shelter and accommodate their special needs.
Georgia's Visitor Information Centers serve as a gateway to the state and are located on major travel arteries in Augusta, Columbus, Kingsland, Lavonia, Plains, Ringgold, Savannah, Tallapoosa, Valdosta, West Point and Sylvania. Travelers are greeted by information specialists who provide valuable travel information, book hotel rooms and offer directions.
2) GEORGIA ECONOMIC IMPACT FIGURES - DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT OF DOMESTIC TRAVEL Domestic travelers directly spent over $17.7 billion in Georgia in 2006, up 7.1 percent from 2005. These expenditures generated 219,300 jobs within Georgia and brought nearly $6.2 billion payroll income. Travel-generated jobs increased 1.1 percent from 2005.
On average, every $80,893 spent in Georgia by U.S. travelers generated one job in 2006.
Direct domestic travel expenditures in Georgia generated over $1.3 billion in tax revenue for state and local governments in 2006, up 5.2 percent from 2005.
Georgia hosted a total of 61.7 million domestic visitors in 2006, a slight decrease of 1.0 percent from 2005. By comparison, total U.S. domestic travel volume remained virtually flat showing a slight 0.4 percent increase in 2006 over 2005.
Of these 61.7 million domestic person-trips to Georgia, just over half (51%) were non-residents of Georgia while day trips and overnight trips showed a fairly even split. Over half (51%) of overnight visitors used hotels, motels or B&Bs for their overnight accommodations.
For more Georgia Tourism Research, visit www.MarketGeorgia.org.

3) 2007 GOVERNOR'S CONFERENCE ON TOURISM LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER The Georgia Governor's Conference on Tourism, September 12-14 in Tifton, is your opportunity to hear about some of the "best practices" taking place around the country from nationally acclaimed industry expert Judy Randall. Judy will give an overview of some of the winning practices from across the U.S. These ideas, strategies, starts/stops/tweaks and clear successes are leading-edge, out-of-thebox, and even off-the-wall. But their winning ways work and they bring tourists and sustainable revenue which is the name of the game.
Learn about the impact of Creative Economies from Fran Redmon, who directed the state of Kentucky's Craft Marketing program which is a national and international best practice. From concept to completion, she spearheaded numerous initiatives that led to the establishment of this model program, which includes an award-winning annual wholesale/retail show; training for crafts entrepreneurs; support for product development; and many other efforts that contribute $252 million dollars in annual sales to the state's craft industry.
The Governor's Conference on Tourism is also an opportunity to hear from GDEcD's new Tourism, Marketing and Communication Team. The panel will be moderated by Charlie Gatlin, Deputy Commissioner of Tourism and Marketing. Learn about the priorities, strategies and opportunities GDEcD and the Georgia Tourism Foundation will be undertaking to market the state.
Also this is your chance to help create Georgia's consumer travel website!!
It's all about consumers! Throughout the conference, join GDEcD and the Spunlogic team in a computer lab and let your voice be heard. Share your strategic vision of an all-new Georgia Tourism consumer website planned for 2008. Your feedback is important as we begin to separate the business audience from the consumer audience online. Your participation and feedback are critical to its success.
Visit www.MarketGeorgia.org and register for the Governor's Conference on Tourism now!
4) GDECD ANNOUNCES THE TECHNOLOGY E-CHALLENGE GRANT WINNERS In order to assist communities, sites and attractions in adapting to these emerging e-dynamics and the rapid changes in technology that are having an immediate and evolving impact on Tourism in our state, the Georgia Tourism Foundation (GTF) and Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) created an E-Challenge grant. This grant opportunity was made available to organizations that attended the first Tourism in Technology Conference this past May held in collaboration with the New Media Institute of the University of Georgia.

The GTF and GDEcD were able to provide funding for 12 out of 26 entities that applied for the 2007 E-Challenge Grant. Funding in the amount of $16,000 will be offered as part of this matching challenge grant program. This funding will support innovative technology marketing efforts including podcasting, virtual tours, website creation and enhancement and other projects that will help promote the State's tourism assets and otherwise engage, entice and educate potential visitors.
The total request for this matching challenge grant program was over $60,000. GTF and GDEcD invite private and corporate funding that will help offset this total request and allow for a total of $130,000 to be invested in innovate and emerging technology applications.
Please join us in congratulating the following grant winners:
Georgia's Historic Heartland Travel Region Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau Macon Bibb County Convention & Visitors Bureau Athens Clarke Heritage Foundation Plantation Trace Regional Travel Association Statesboro Convention & Visitors Bureau Tubman African American Museum Milledgeville Baldwin County Convention & Visitors Bureau Savannah Music Festival Greater Augusta Arts Council Thomasville Tourism Authority
Be sure to attend the Governor's Conference on Tourism for more interactive learning opportunities. Scott Shamp, the director of the New Media Institute of the University of Georgia will be presenting a breakout session on emerging technology and mobile media. Learn how you can enhance your tourism marketing using technology that really captivates and lures visitors. Visit www.MarketGeorgia.org and register for the Governor's Conference now!
GTF and GDEcD will host the 2008 Tourism in Technology Conference this spring. Stay tuned for more information.
5) GEORGIA TOURISM ANNOUNCES THE HOSPITALITY HIGHWAY GDEcD, GTF and the New Media Institute of UGA, and the Communities that make up Georgia's new dedicated Hospitality Highway have come together in a unique partnership to create a Converged Tourism Technology Platform (cttp://) covering Georgia's Hospitality Highway. Please be on the lookout for more information as this project is starting to gear up. You will be able to learn more about this collaboration at the upcoming Governor's Conference on Tourism.

6) GDEcD RELEASED MODEL TO TRACK ECONOMIC IMPACT OF FAIRS AND FESTIVALS GDEcD's model to measure the impact of Fairs and Festivals is now live on the web. This model was created by Dr. Bruce Seaman, from Georgia State and it can used to measure the economic impact generated by various Tourism events taking place in your community. Please log on and start to use the model to track your events. We will have a meeting this fall with Dr. Seaman to review the model and learn how best it can be used to track various economic impact factors related to the travel and tourism industry. For more information and to review the model, visit www.marketgeorgia.org under industry research.
7) GEORGIA STATE PARKS ONLINE LEAF TRACKING STARTS ON OCTOBER 1 It won't be long before Georgia's forests turn into a brilliant blanket of red, orange and gold, drawing "leaf peepers" to pull out their cameras and put on their hiking boots. To help track the changing leaves and plan autumn escapes, Georgia's State Parks will launch Leaf Watch 2007 beginning October 1 at www.GeorgiaStateParks.org.
Whether traveling to the Appalachians for hiking and biking, or heading south for canoeing and camping, Leaf Watch 2007 will offer advice on where and when to find the best color at Georgia's state parks. Visitors can read regular updates provided by park rangers, get safety tips for hiking and camping, and learn why leaves change color. Leaf Watch 2007 also provides links that allow browsers to reserve campsites, cottages and lodge rooms offered at Georgia's state parks. The link also includes a Web cam showcasing the rolling mountainside of Black Rock Mountain State Park
Typically, northern Georgia peaks in late October; however, color can be seen as early as September and as late as mid-November. Some parks in southern Georgia put on a pretty display during late autumn, particularly those with cypress trees and tea-colored swamps.
8) COLQUITT COUNTY'S TECHNOLOGY TOURISM FEATURED IN GEORGIA TREND MAGAZINE The most tantalizing effort of UGA's Archway Project in Moultrie, GA might be a tourism project that blends the latest in technology with ancient assets.
Last May, Colquitt County leaders quickly accepted an Archway offer to become the first community in Georgia to use a range of technology that includes iPods, computers, Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) and CDs to entice tourists interested in visiting historical sites. "Not only is it exciting to be part of such a groundbreaking project, but this is a real and rare opportunity to boost our tourism bottom line," says Amanda Statom, executive director of the MoultrieColquitt County Chamber of Commerce.

Under the Archway plan, teams of chamber volunteers will fan out over the county, plot the coordinates of historic sites and other points of interest, then make them available and downloadable worldwide to users of Google Earth. At the same time, UGA's Archway Project will help the chamber with its Web-based tourism.
The Moultrie chamber is already handing out CDs to help tourists navigate the town's historic Westview Cemetery while listening to a continuous narrative. The Archway Project also is helping the community target historical tourists with the production of a CD documentary, a pictorial history and local history workshops, all Georgia firsts.
The excerpts above are from the August issue of Georgia Trend magazine. To view the article in its entirety, visit www.georgiatrend.com/our-state/08_07_moultrie.shtml
9) AUGUSTA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU ACHIEVES DESTINATION MARKETING ACCREDITATION The Augusta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) is the first CVB in Georgia to receive accreditation from the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) and only one of 27 accredited Destination Marketing Organizations in the world.
DMAP is an international accreditation program developed by Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI). DMAP is an independent international accreditation body and a leader in defining quality and performance issues in destination marketing. For more information, visit www.augustaga.org.
10) GEORGIA TRAVELER EXPLORES THE SOUTHERN RIVERS REGION It's time to hit the road with Georgia Public Broadcasting's popular series Georgia Traveler which explores everything that is unique to Georgia. On this week's episode, it's off to Georgia's Southern Rivers region. Albany is our destination city where we visit the Riverfront Park, the Riverquarium and the Parks at Chehaw. We enjoy a performance of Swamp Gravy, the famous folk life play in Colquitt. David Zelski explores Mule Day in Calvary. We survey the largest swamp in North America and experience a trip back in time at the Agrirama in Tifton. And Phil Proctor discovers down-home delights at Nothin' Fancy.
This episode of Georgia Traveler, "Southern Rivers South (Albany)", is scheduled to air on GPB stations across the state on the following days and times: Friday, Sept. 7 at 9pm, Saturday, Sept. 8 and 7pm and Wednesday, Sept. 12 at 7pm. To find out more, visit www.gpb.org/public/tv/gatraveler/index.jsp.
11) SAVANNAH IS GEORGIA'S NEWEST PRESERVE AMERICA COMMUNITY

Congratulations to Savannah for being designated a Preserve America community on July 31, 2007. Communities applying for the Preserve America designation must demonstrate use of historic assets for economic development and community revitalization and how they encourage people to experience and appreciate local historic resources through education and heritage tourism programs. For more information, visit http://www.preserveamerica.gov.
12) "WINE SPECTATOR" ANNOUNCES AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE In its September issue, the "Wine Spectator" announces its annual Awards of Excellence for their Restaurants Awards program. There were 73 Georgia restaurants recognized with the Award of Excellence, including 8 restaurants earning the Best of Award of Excellence. In its 26th year, the "Wine Spectator" Restaurant Awards program recognizes restaurants that show passion and commitment when it comes to wine. Restaurants know that wine lovers are their best customers, and wine lists continue to improve. To view the complete list of Georgia winners, visit www.winespectator.com/Wine/Dining/Restaurant_Awards/Restaurant_Search_P age/0,1245,,00.html.
13) AS HOTEL RATES CONTINUE TO CLIMB, TRAVELERS TRADE DOWN Hotel rates have been steadily increasing by 6 -10 percent for the last few years, according to the D.K. Shifflet & Associates (DKSA) Lodging Performance/MonitorSM. Recent analysis shows that travelers are now reacting by trading down and trading out. The DKSA data shows that, while the number of high-income U.S. household earning over $100,000 annually has been growing, and they pay the highest rates in each hotel segment, even these well heeled travelers are trading down from high-end to mid-level hotels. In fact they are fundamentally responsible for the 2005 to 2006 share growth in the domestic mid-level hotel segment. Additionally, the survey reveals that travelers are taking shorter trips and have increased their "trade-out" to hotel alternatives, such as cruising, vacation rentals, B&Bs, and fractional ownership properties. For more information, contact Jim Caldwell at (703) 536-0933 or via jcaldwell@dksa.com.
14) TRAVEL TREND: HOTEL PARKING RATES ARE UP According to a recent USA Today article by Gary Stoller, business travelers certainly know by now that their hotel rooms are costing more than they did a few years ago. Less noticed, though, is what's happened to hotel parking rates. More hotels are charging for parking, and rates are rising sharply at hotels that do. According to PKF Consulting, hotels that charged for parking over an eight-year period ending in 2006 saw their parking revenue rise 51 percent. Over the same period at those hotels, PFK says, average daily room rates rose 18 percent, and overall revenue rose 14 percent. PKF, an Atlanta-based research company, analyzed data from 383 hotels at the request of "USA Today." Though a higher volume of parked cars accounts for some of the revenue increase, PKF says the higher parking revenue means guests are paying higher rates. Many major hotels say they have boosted their rates in recent months, and parking fees can add up

to a big slice of a guest's bill. To find out more, visit www.usatoday.com/travel/hotels/2007-08-13-hotel-parking_N.htm?csp=34.
15) ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MEANS VACATIONS ARE GETTING SHORTER According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal by Anjali Athavaley, the leisurely summer vacation long considered a chance for employees to break away from work for at least a full week, if not two has fallen out of favor. Instead, many people are opting to break their vacation time into long weekends, say researchers who track vacation patterns. Some employees are even combining their vacations with two or three-day business trips to avoid being away from work at all. A full 35 percent of employed U.S. adults aren't taking all the vacation days they get for the year, inching up from 33 percent last year, according to Expedia.com's annual Vacation Deprivation survey. Only 14 percent plan to take off a full two-week vacation this year, down from 16 percent last year. The trend has picked up as the work force has grown leaner. To find out more, visit http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118713832414097958.html?mod=travel_left_colu mn_hs.
16) TRAVEL TREND: GUESTS RUNNING LATE A WAKE UP CALL TO HOTELS According to a recent New York Times article, hotels have upgraded their beds, enhanced their technology, added more spa services and become more pet- and child-friendly in recent years. But their wake-up service? That is another story. For business travelers, many suffering from jet lag, missing a meeting or a flight because a wake-up call did not come or a clock malfunctioned is no small matter. Many have pressed their own trusty alarm clock, cellphone, watch or BlackBerry into service. According to a survey conducted in 2005 by Kelton Research for Hilton Hotels, 57 percent of business travelers had worried about sleeping past their alarm, and only 18 percent trusted a hotel clock to wake them up. Many regarded setting a hotel alarm clock as more complicated than filing taxes or programming a VCR. But some hotels have begun to make changes in both their wake-up call service and in their clocks. To find out more, visit www.nytimes.com/2007/08/07/business/07wake.html?_r=1&ref=business&oref=s login.
17) SMITH TRAVEL RESEARCH HAS GOOD NEWS FOR GEORGIA HOTEL REVENUE According to the latest Smith Travel Research Standard Historical TREND report, Georgia hotel revenues are up 2.9 percent for the first 7 months of 2007 over 2006. This equals an increase of $53 million in revenues. Almost all the travel regions showed an increase with Georgia's Coast and the Southern Rivers region showing 10 percent and 6 percent respectively. For more information, visit www.smithtravelresearch.com.

18) WEB 2.0 CONNECTS TO CUSTOMERS AS TRAVELERS ARRIVE AT FACEBOOK According to a recent article by Laura Bly in USA Today, hatched in a Harvard University dorm room three years ago as a way to keep tabs on fellow students, the social networking site Facebook is becoming a go-to destination for travelers -- and not just the type who frequent youth hostels or friends' couches. Since opening its virtual doors last fall to anyone with an e-mail address, Facebook has graduated to more than 37 million users, and the 25-and-over crowd is its fastestgrowing demographic. The most popular of Facebook's 100-odd travel applications, downloaded by more than 2.6 million members since its launch by a freelance Web developer in June, is Where I've Been -- a map that highlights places users have been to, lived in and hope to visit. The interactive map includes a smattering of facts for each destination. To read the entire article, visit www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2007-08-30-facebook_N.htm?csp=34
19) MAJOR EXHIBITION AND MUSICAL TRIBUTE COMMEMORATE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF OTIS REDDING'S PASSING IN HIS HOMETOWN OF MACON On Sept. 14, 2007, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in Macon unveils Otis Redding: I've Got Dreams to Remember, the first major exhibition to celebrate the life and artistry of one of the greatest popular singers and performers of the 20th century. Also on Sept. 14, a musical tribute concert, "An Evening of Respect...The Legacy Continues," will feature Dexter and Otis Redding III, the Macon Symphony Orchestra, The Bar-Kays, Taj Mahal and other special guests performing Redding's songs at the Macon City Auditorium.
On display through Sept. 10, 2008, I've Got Dreams to Remember, named after one of Redding's most poignant and frequently covered songs, presents over 175 artifacts including photographs, hand-written lyrics, posters, letters and other rare memorabilia that vividly tell the story of Redding's rise to international stardom. Multi-media kiosks enable visitors to experience his musical evolution as a singer, composer, arranger, producer and performer. For more information, visit www.georgiamusic.org.
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