April 2009 Issue 
In This Issue: 
GDEcD'S PAM KRUSECK NAMED ACVB'S 2009 VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR ATLANTA, GA HOSTS 2009 ACTIVE AMERICA CHINA GEORGIA TOURISM COMPLETES SPRING MEDIA AND TOUR OPERATOR FAM TOURS GDEcD'S SALES TEAM UPDATE GDEcD's RESEARCH UPDATE GDEcD's VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER (VIC) UPDATE NEW GEORGIA.ORG WEBSITE CABBAGE PATCH KID TO GREET HARTSFIELD-JACKSON AIRPORT TRAVELERS 2009 TECHNO TOURISM CONFERENCE A HUGE SUCCESS 26TH ANNUAL NATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM WEEK MAY 9-17, 2009 COLUMBUS CVB ACHIEVES DESTINATION MARKETING ACCREDITATION GEORGIA INNKEEPER WINS 2009 GREAT INNKEEPER IDEA FAIR CHATTAHOOCHEE TRACE NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR STUDY ACT IS NOW LAW ST. MARYS DDA RECEIVES 2009 NATIONAL TRUST MAIN STREET ACCREDITATION NEW REPORT ON SMALL TOWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES PRESS RELEASE: GEORGIA WINS MILEY CYRUS MOVIE PROJECT PRESS RELEASE: TAKE A WALK ON GEORGIA'S WILD SIDE TRAVEL TRENDS: SOUTHEAST TOURISM SOCIETY NAMES TOP 20 EVENTS FOR SEPTEMBER 2009 
 
 TRAVEL TRENDS: TRIPADVISOR NAMED INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR 
TRAVEL TRENDS: ROAD TRIP: MORE FAMILIES SET TO HIT HIGHWAYS THIS YEAR 
TRAVEL TRENDS: LOCAL GOVERNMENTS USING FACEBOOK, TWITTER 
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GDEcD'S PAM KRUSECK NAMED ACVB'S 2009 VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR 
Congratulations to Georgia Tourism's Consumer Sales Manager Pam Kruseck for winning the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau 2009 Volunteer of the Year award. Pam was recognized at the ACVB's annual luncheon at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Atlanta on Wednesday, April 15. 862 people attended the luncheon including the entire Atlanta Braves team. Pam has served as a Bureau Buddy on the ACVB's volunteer team for four years. She received the most points for assisting the ACVB during events and was awarded the accolade. To see a video of the award presentation visit Georgia Tourism's 'Georgia Explorer' Industry Facebook Group page. 
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ATLANTA, GA HOSTS 2009 ACTIVE AMERICA CHINA 
Active America China, organized jointly by GDEcD, ACVB, Delta Air Lines and North American Journeys, was very successful. 53 hand-selected outbound tour operators from mainland China came to Atlanta for the event, along with suppliers from across the U.S. After the conference, which involved one-on-one meetings between tour operators and suppliers, ACVB and GDEcD hosted a FAM trip to the metro region, allowing the group to experience our product. Very few of the operators had ever been to the South, and now have much more of a vision for how they can sell our product to their customers. As follow-up, we continue to work with many of the operators on new itineraries. 
 
 ................................................................................................................................................................... GEORGIA TOURISM COMPLETES SPRING MEDIA AND TOUR OPERATOR FAM TOURS 
Georgia Tourism completes a spring full of media and tour operator FAM (familiarization) tours. The state's regional tourism reps escorted all of the tours. Kicking off the tours on March 29, two Midwest Travel Writers Association post tours departed Macon and headed to the Coast/Magnolia Midlands and Atlanta Metro/Historic Heartland. Immediately following, two Society of American Travel Writer post tours departed Atlanta on April 5 and headed to the North Georgia Mountains and Historic Heartland/ Classic South/Metro Atlanta. At the same time, two Travel South post tours departed Kissimmee, Florida on April 7 and headed to Georgia's Coast and Plantation Trace regions. 
In addition, Tri-Egron, German TV crew, arrived in Georgia on April 3 for six days visiting Georgia's Coast, Okefenokee Swamp and learned all about peanuts in Tifton and Plains. The crew departed Georgia towards Tennessee making a stop in Helen to check out our very own Bavarian community. A 'Gone With the Wind' UK media tour arrived in Atlanta on April 17 and experienced all things related to the classic book and movie for five days. They visited Atlanta, Jonesboro, Madison, Milledgeville and Savannah. And last but not least, a German reporter arrived in Georgia on April 27 to write about Georgia's music heritage. He is visiting the Blue Ridge, Athens, Madison, Macon and Savannah. 
.................................................................................................................... GDEcD'S SALES TEAM UPDATE 
GROUP SALES: 
Katie Baasen, Kevin Langston, Anne Young and Wolfgang Weisterborger will be attending International Pow Wow in Miami, FL from May 16 - 20. Pow Wow is the largest marketplace for International Operators in the United States. GDEcD will be participating in pre-scheduled appointments with International tour operators, receptive operators and media representatives. Katie Baasen attended the International Travel Workshop in Athens on April 16. Featured speakers were Peter Hannaford, GA Tourism Representative for the United Kingdom and Ireland; Gary Orr, Head of Purchasing for Virgin Holidays; and Jimmy Jillebo from Delta U.K., Leisure Sales Manager. 
Katie Baasen attended Visit USA Brazil in San Paulo April 13-14. Katie joined GDEcD's Brazilian trade representative Marianna Falkenberger and met with Brazilian tour operators and media to provide information on tourism product in Georgia available to the Brazilian traveler. 
Katie Baasen, Kevin Langston and Jeffrey Tatum attended the Travel South Showcase in Kissimmee, Florida from April 5 - 8. Georgia tourism highlighted Georgia's music heritage providing music one pagers and music themed give away items in the sponsorship booth. Georgia also hosted two post familiarization tours for tour operators following the showcase visiting Georgia's Coast and Plantation Trace. 
Please mark your calendars! Group Tour Boot Camp will take place June 18-19, 2009 in Macon at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. The boot camp will focus on itinerary building in the motorcoach market. Keep an eye out for registration information. 
 
 Motorcoach tracking program with the Visitor Information Centers - the VIC staff is working to gather information from companies/coaches that stop in Georgia at the centers. A monthly listing with information for motorcoach groups who stop at our state VICs is being sent out through the regional tourism representatives. Please note - the listing only includes information of the motorcoaches who are willing to share information and those who stop during operating hours. Thank you to the VIC staff for their efforts on this program. 
Nominations are officially open for the American Bus Association 2010 Top 100 Events in North America. Now in its 28th year, ABA's Top 100 Events in North America recognizes the best group-friendly events for the coming year. Don't miss your chance to showcase the top group tour events in your area. ABA surveyed our operators and asked "Do you use the Top 100 booklet in planning your tours/charters?". The answer - 70% of the operators who responded said YES! In addition to the operators' feedback, ABA has recorded nearly 600 main-stream media hits since September 2008 - helping you promote your destination. As the official tourism office from Georgia, Georgia Tourism can submit a maximum of seven nominations to be considered for this prestigious distinction. Please note that ABA-member convention and visitors bureaus and private destination marketing organizations are eligible to submit two nominations each year. For the 2010 Top 100 - non-ABA member DMOs can submit one nomination for a fee which is then refunded if they join the association in 2009. These nominations are separate from your nominations and have no bearing on them. Click here for more information about ABA's Top 100 nomination process. Please submit your event to Katie Baasen by May 6 via email at kbaasen@georgia.org. 
CONSUMER SALES: 
AARP Life@50+ Expo - Las Vegas, NV - October 22 -24, 2009 They are expecting more than 25,000 members and others from all over the United States and abroad to attend the event. The AARP Vegas@50+ event is a great opportunity for your organization to collaborate with AARP and to reach the 50+ audience. It is an opportunity to increase Georgia's visibility among baby boomers; a demographic comprising 26 percent of the U.S. population and a driving force in the market place. 
Snowbird Extravaganza - Lakeland, FL - January 26 - 27, 2010 They are expecting 30,000 to 35,000 attendees of which 60% are Canadian Snowbirds and 40% are American Winter Residents. Last year attendees enjoyed the excitement, education, information and variety of activities. 
Southern Women's Show - Savannah, GA - February 5 - 7, 2010 The Southern Women's Show attracts more than 12,000 women over a 3-day period. These consumer shows target women with give-a-ways and tips on beauty, cooking, fashion, health & well-being, shopping, travel and much more! 
AAA Travel Marketplace - Foxboro, MA - March 5-7, 2010 AAA Travel will target 12,000 vacation-seeking leisure travelers and travel agents from Boston, Providence, Worcester and Cape Cod. Information about the show is included in the AAA Club publication, Horizons, which is mailed out to 1.2 million households. In 2009 attendance was up 8% from last year - 15,111 in total in attendance. 
 
 ................................................................................................................................................................... GDEcD's RESEARCH UPDATE 
In March, consumer confidence slightly increased to 26 from the record low of 25 in February. 
Traveler Sentiment Index (TSI) has gone up to 90.2 from 78.2 from October 2008. This increase is being driven by the perceived affordability of travel. It supports previously released information by the Travel Association of America stating 71% intend to take overnight trips of 50 miles or more in the next 6 months. 48% said they had no change in future travel plans due to financial market downturns. 
Please visit the newly redesigned section of www.marketgeorgia.org. It is user friendly and offers easy access to the multitude of research reports available. You can also find the latest research newsletter that offers a plethora of national and local tourism data. 
Help!! We are looking for feedback and suggestions on the ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute) reports. The ESRI reports track information on travelers stopping and utilizing Georgia's Visitor Information Centers. The 2008 final report, a review and analysis of all of the 2008 quarterly reports, will be posted on www.marketgeorgia.org the first week of May. We would love to know how you are using this data as you work with the VICs to promote your tourism attraction or destination. Please send your feedback to Nerissa Serrano via email at nserrano@georgia.org. 
................................................................................................................................................................... GDEcD's VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER (VIC) UPDATE 
Navigate Visitation to Georgia's Visitor Information Centers increased by 4% in February. 
A recent visitor survey conducted by our Visitor Information Center's determined that 92% of respondents would return to Georgia because of the information at the VIC. 
Upcoming Georgia On My Mind (GOMM) Days are as follows. Visit www.marketgeorgia.org for contact information and to learn more about GOMM Days. 
Augusta - July 17 Kingsland - May 15 Lavonia - May 22 Plains - May 9 Ringgold - June 19 Savannah - May 29 Sylvania - April 16 Tallapoosa - June 5 West Point - July 31 
 
 The Atlanta Metro Travel Association will host GOMM Days at the Lavonia VIC on May 1, Tallapoosa VIC on June 19 and West Point VIC on July 17. 
.................................................................................................................... NEW GEORGIA.ORG WEBSITE 
You may have heard that our Web team has been working on a completely new and improved version of Georgia.org. Well, it's finally here! The site is full of updated content and new functionality to make it more user-friendly. Tourism partners will find tourism marketing information at www.Georgia.org/georgiaindustries/tourism. This is a "soft" launch and we will roll the site out more publicly in early summer. 
.................................................................................................................... CABBAGE PATCH KID TO GREET HARTSFIELD-JACKSON AIRPORT TRAVELERS 
The Georgia Tourism Foundation will promote the state's tourism assets to travelers at HartsfieldJackson International Airport on Thursday, April 30 from 11am - 1pm. The Foundation will educate travelers about Georgia's diverse destinations, world renowned attractions, outdoor adventures, thriving arts & culture scene and so much more. The Tourism Foundation is teaming up with one of Georgia's most recognized Georgia Made Georgia Grown product - the Cabbage Patch Kid to showcase Georgia's offerings. 
.................................................................................................................................................................. 2009 TECHNO TOURISM CONFERENCE A HUGE SUCCESS 
More than 120 tourism professionals attended the 2009 Techno Tourism Conference that took place April 20 - 21, 2009 at the Chattahoochee Technical College in Marietta. "Social Media Marketing . . . Affordable, Effective & Essential" was the theme of the conference this year. Constant Contact was the event's gold sponsor and Southwinds Technologies a bronze sponsor. 
 
 ....................................................................................................................................... 26TH ANNUAL NATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM WEEK MAY 9-17, 2009 
Join hundreds of cities, states and businesses nationwide in the annual salute to travel and tourism in America, presented by the U.S. Travel Association. National Travel and Tourism Week is a collective effort to promote the power of travel through customized events in communities nationwide. The goal is to enhance the country's economy, security and perception, and recognize the cultural and social benefits created by travel and tourism. In 2009, the first-ever U.S. Travel Rally Day will be staged in communities nationwide on May 12, with convention and visitors bureau leaders uniting with local government and business leaders to promote the message that "Travel Matters". Consumer-oriented promotions are also available with DiscoverAmerica.com and AOL Travel. Click here for more information. 
........................................................................................................................................ COLUMBUS CVB ACHIEVES DESTINATION MARKETING ACCREDITATION 
The Columbus Convention & Visitors Bureau announced on March 30 they have been awarded accreditation from the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP). DMAP is an international accreditation program developed by the Washington, DC based Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI). In earning the DMAP accreditation, destination marketing organizations (DMOs) communicate to their community, buyers, and potential visitors that their DMO has attained a significant measure of excellence. Columbus is one of four Georgia CVBs or DMOs that have received DMAP accreditation and now ranks among the seventy DMOs in the U.S. to have been accredited. For additional information on DMAP visit www.destinationmarketing.org. 
................................................................................................................................................................... GEORGIA INNKEEPER WINS 2009 GREAT INNKEEPER IDEA FAIR 
At the 2009 Innkeeping Conference and Trade Show, hosted by the Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII) in Atlanta, Georgia, innkeeper Jan Chamberlain from the Blue Heron Inn, Meridian, Georgia was awarded by her peers as having the best innkeeping idea at the second annual Great Innkeeper Idea Fair. Chamberlain's idea was an effective way to increase revenue by providing a valuable service for the guest. She began including a four-day sample itinerary in the information (directions, check in time, etc.) sent by e-mail to each new reservation. This not only added to Blue Heron's revenue, but also to the tourism community as a whole. And because it was so successful, the information now includes websites of tours, excursions and restaurants that are the most popular with the guests. For additional information on news from PAII, contact Ingrid Thorson or visit www.paii.org. 
 
 ....................................................................................................................................................................... CHATTAHOOCHEE TRACE NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR STUDY ACT IS NOW LAW 
On March 26th, the U. S. House of Representatives approved passage of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. This follows the passage of the same legislation in the U. S. Senate on January 15th. President Obama signed the act into law on March 30th. Contained within this legislation is the Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage Corridor Study Act which also became law at the same time. Once the National Heritage Area designation is formally approved, the Chattahoochee Trace region will be eligible to receive funding for publications and marketing for tourism, historic preservation, environmental education, outdoor recreation and small business development. National Heritage Areas are significant geographical, cultural and historical sites, as designated by the U. S. Congress. For further information on the Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage Corridor Study Act contact Doug Purcell, Executive Director, Historic Chattahoochee Commission, P. O. Box 33, Eufaula, AL 36072 or P. O. Box 942, LaGrange, GA 30241. E-mail inquiries may be directed to trace@eufaula.rr.com or call 334-687-9755. 
........................................................................................................................................................................ ST. MARYS DDA RECEIVES 2009 NATIONAL TRUST MAIN STREET ACCREDITATION 
St. Marys DDA has been designated an accredited National Main Street Program for meeting the commercial district revitalization performance standards set by the National Trust Main Street Center. Each year, the National Trust and its coordinating program partners announce the list of accredited Main Street programs that have built strong revitalization organizations that have demonstrated their ability to follow the Main Street methodology. Click here for more information on the National Program Accreditation. 
........................................................................................................................................................................ NEW REPORT ON SMALL TOWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES 
The University of North Carolina School of Government has partnered with the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center to produce Small Towns, Big Ideas, a report that identifies and documents fifty small towns with populations of fewer than 10,000 residents that have implemented successful or innovative approaches to community economic development. This collection of searchable case studies is a response to the demand from civic leaders in North Carolina for real stories, from real places that are confronting real challenges similar to those facing small communities everywhere. Included in the report are Colquitt and Douglas, both in Georgia. Visit www.sog.unc.edu/ programs/cednc/stbi/. 
 
 ..................................................................................................................................................................... PRESS RELEASE: GEORGIA WINS MILEY CYRUS MOVIE PROJECT 
Governor Sonny Perdue announced on April 9 that Savannah will be the filming location for the upcoming Disney film, The Last Song. The movie is expected to bring approximately 250 jobs to the state. Click here for the complete press release. 
 
............................................................................................................................................ PRESS RELEASE: TAKE A WALK ON GEORGIA'S WILD SIDE 
 
Provide Georgia has a long state park legacy...the longest in fact. From Indian Springs, thought to be the oldest state park in the nation, to F.D. Roosevelt, the state's largest park and one that contains the former president's favorite picnic spot, Georgia's beautiful topography and rich history are brought together in her state parks. Discover sights like the tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi River, remnants of ancient civilizations and Georgia's "Little Grand Canyon," all while hiking, birding, canoeing, fishing, biking, golfing, horseback riding, backpacking, kayaking, swimming, playing tennis or exploring. For the complete press release, click here. 
 
............................................................................................................................................ TRAVEL TRENDS: SOUTHEAST TOURISM SOCIETY NAMES TOP 20 EVENTS FOR SEPTEMBER 2009 
The best events across the Southeast compete to receive the prestigious Top 20 designation. Through a nomination process, the Southeast Tourism Society chooses the Top 20 events in the Southeast for each month of the year and publishes this list of winners quarterly. To be nominated, each event must have 1,000 or more in attendance, be in its third year in existence, and submit a $10 nomination fee per event. The Top 20 Events for September 2009 are perfect for including in any itinerary or getaway. Click here to view the September 2009 list. 
 
............................................................................................................................................ TRAVEL TRENDS: TRIPADVISOR NAMED INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR 
 
submissions. 
 
TripAdvisor, the world's most popular and largest travel community, was named "Innovator of the Year" by the U.S. Travel Association on April 2. Designed to honor the two companies whose innovations have had dramatic impact on the larger travel landscape, In novator winners were determined for the first time by online votes. More than 3,000 people weighed in on the decision, selecting industry pacesetters based on video 
 
 ............................................................................................................................................ TRAVEL TRENDS: ROAD TRIP: MORE FAMILIES SET TO HIT HIGHWAYS THIS YEAR 
Welcome to the great American road trip, 2009. From the Grand Canyon to Orlando to the Wisconsin Dells, concession and hotel operators are gearing up for a large influx of roadsters. Most Americans still spend summer vacations within a few hours' drive of home-a trend that is on the rise this year as more families tighten travel budgets. Click here for the complete article. 
...................................................................................................................................................................... TRAVEL TRENDS: LOCAL GOVERNMENTS USING FACEBOOK, TWITTER 
Local government agencies are trying out new forms of social media in an effort to reach out to residents. Facebook pages and Twitter feeds have been started in the past month by some government agencies. Click here for the complete article. 
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