Georgia tourism monthly e-newsletter, Jan. 2010

January 2010 Issue
In This Issue:
TOURISM INDUSTRY GATHERS FOR 2010 TOURISM DAY AT THE CAPITOL 2010 STATE TRAVEL GUIDE COVER UNVEILED EXPLOREGEORGIA.ORG GOES MOBILE AGRITOURISM WORKSHOP - SPRING 2010 NATIONAL TRUST SEEKS NATIONAL PRESERVATION AWARDS NOMINATIONS STATEWIDE COMMUNITY LANDMARKS CONFERENCE GDEcD RESEARCH UPDATE INSIGHTS ON INTERNATIONAL VISITORS TO THE SOUTH GDEcD SALES TEAM UPDATE U.S. TRAVEL TRACKER TRAVEL TRENDS: 'GREEN' BECOMING STANDARD FOR HOTEL INDUSTRY TRAVEL TRENDS: MORE BUSINESS TRAVELERS TRY TO DO TRIPS IN ONE DAY TRAVEL TRENDS: EVEN MORE ROOM AT THE INN TRAVEL NEWS: VISITOR CENTER NUMBERS UP IN SAVANNAH AND VALDOSTA TRAVEL NEWS: HOSPITALITY EMPLOYMENT COULD SEE BOOST IN '10 TRAVEL NEWS: GATEWAY CENTER A PLUS FOR SOUTH SIDE MARKET TRAVEL NEWS: FOR SOME, HASSLES DIM THE APPEAL OF AIR TRAVEL

TRAVEL NEWS: UNWTO 2010 FORECAST INDICATES BOTTOMING OUT TRAVEL NEWS: DON'T USE THE R-WORD: HOTELS FIND TRICK TO BUSINESS BOOKINGS
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TOURISM INDUSTRY GATHERS FOR 2010 TOURISM DAY AT THE CAPITOL
The tourism industry gathered for the 2010 Tourism Day at the Capitol on Tuesday, January 27 to celebrate the significant role tourism plays in Georgia's economy. The tourism industry presented a check representing the $850.6 million in state tax revenue generated from tourismrelated expenditures.
........................................................................................................................................................................ 2010 STATE TRAVEL GUIDE COVER UNVEILED
The new 2010 annual Georgia Travel Guide was unveiled at the 2010 Tourism Day at the Capitol. The 2010 Travel Guide features the Okefenokee Swamp at Stephen C. Foster State Park on the cover. This full-color, magazine-size guide provides visitors with information on hundreds of Georgia cities, towns, attractions and accommodations. 750,000 guides are distributed through Visitor Information Centers, www.ExploreGeorgia. org, travel and trade shows and 1-800-VISIT GA. The Georgia Department of Economic Development partners with Emmis Custom Publishing, (publisher of Atlanta Magazine), on the Georgia Travel Guide each year.

.................................................................................................................... EXPLOREGEORGIA.ORG GOES MOBILE
GDEcD launched a new mobile Web site for people 'on-the-go.' Visitors can access m.ExploreGeorgia.org to explore all there is to see and do in Georgia on any mobile device. Visitors can view attractions, accommodations, restaurants, special events, coupon offers and contract information via web access on their mobile devices or through text messages. The Interactive Mobile Travel Guide is now available to the 2.7 billion mobile phone users in the world today. GDEcD partnered with Emmis Publishing and ITI Marketing.
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AGRITOURISM WORKSHOPS - SPRING 2010
The Agritourism Workshops are a joint effort between GDEcD, the UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development, Department of Agriculture and others. Learn about the business side of agriTourism, taxes, zoning & conservation easement, how to build an effective, affordable website for your business (you will leave with your own website!), social media marketing, insurance and risk management, and more. The final southern workshop/conference will be held in the Spring 2010, dates to be determined. For more information and registration information, click here.
.................................................................................................................... NATIONAL TRUST SEEKS NATIONAL PRESERVATION AWARDS NOMINATIONS
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is seeking nominations for the 2010 National Preservation Awards. The awards are presented annually to individuals and organizations whose contributions demonstrate excellence in historic preservation. For more information, visit www.preservationnation.org/take-action/awards. Call 202-588-6315 or e-mail awards@nthp.org with any questions. Nominations must be postmarked by March 1, 2010.

........................................................................................................................................................................ STATEWIDE COMMUNITY LANDMARKS CONFERENCE
The Statewide Community Landmarks Conference will take place at the Roosevelt Warm Springs Rehabilitation Institute on March 25-26, 2010. Co-sponsored by the Historic Preservation Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources; Georgia Department of Economic Development; Georgia Department of Community Affairs; Georgia Council for the Humanities; Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation; Three Rivers Regional Commission and The Fox Theatre Institute. For more information contact, Conference Coordinator Carole Moore at 404-463-8434 or carole.moore@dnr.state.ga.us.
.................................................................................................................... GDEcD RESEARCH UPDATE
Georgia Tourism by the numbers
q Tourism annually generates more than $20.8 billion in direct expenditures, which support 241.5 jobs and contribute $1.557 billion to state and local tax revenue in direct revenues.
q Total economic impact inducing direct, indirect and induced was $34.8 billion 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).
q From 1998 to 2007, Georgia has enjoyed a 52.9% increase in direct tourist expenditures from $13.6 to 20.8 billion. (GDEcD - Report on Georgia)
The tourism industry is moving from the traditional Economic Impact (EI) analysis toward a more comprehensive analysis called Travel & Tourism Satellite Accounts (TSA) to more accurately measure tourism's contribution to the economy. The TSA adds several components, most notably capital investment (construction of hotels, etc).
Georgia's 2008 TSA analysis shows that tourism generated:
q $28.8 billion in direct sales q $46 billion in total sales* q $2.5 billion in state and local taxes* federal taxes 3.3 billion q $20.9 billion of GDP*, 5.3% of the state economy q 400,000 jobs*, 9.9% of all jobs in the state q Tourism saved each household $760 in state and local taxes
*these elements include indirect & induced impacts
Hotel occupancy at a glance for the month of December:
q Occupancy was up .8% in Georgia much greater than the nationwide occupancy average down -2.2% q Average Daily Rate was down -6.4% very close to the national average, which was down -6%

q Georgia demand grew by 4.6% above the national growth of 1.1% q Revenue for the month was down -2% also above the national average, which was down by 5%
................................................................................................................................................................... INSIGHTS ON INTERNATIONAL VISITORS TO THE SOUTH
Travel South USA commissioned research on international visitor volume and spending. This report was presented at the Travel South Board meeting in January. The information collected and analyzed was for 11 of the southern states that make up Travel South USA including AL, AK, GA, KY,LA,MS,NC,SC,TN, VA, and WV. The information included in the report was exclusive of FL and of the Hartsfield Jackson International Airport as these areas constitute unique international travel patterns outside of the norm for the 11 Travel South USA states. Key findings from this empirical rather than survey based report include the following:
q In 2008 the region hosted 2.13 million international visitors q These visitors spent $1.4 billion during the time period analyzed q The top ten origin countries accounted for 59% of the total estimated volume q The top ten countries in order of visitation are:
r U.K. r Japan r Germany r France r South Korea r Mexico r Australia r Brazil r China r Spain
For more information on this study please visit www.travelsouthusa.com.

.................................................................................................................... GDEcD SALES TEAM UPDATE
GROUP SALES:
The 2010 Travel South Showcase will take place April 10-14 in Birmingham, AL. If you have not already registered, please do so. WHY TRAVEL SOUTH SHOWCASE? Are you part of the" Who's Who" of Southern Tourism? Did you know that Southern Tourism is a $1.76 billion industry? It is the only regional tourism show focused solely on the southern United States. This invitation-only event is open to qualified Tour Operators and Southern Suppliers. Showcase isn't just a Marketplace - it's a marketing platform. The Georgia Tourism division will be participating in Showcase this year with appointments, sponsorship and organizing Team Georgia for the bowling event. If you have any questions, please contact Katie Baasen via email at kbaasen@georgia.org.
Mark your calendar! Atlanta is set to host the 2011 Travel South Showcase. The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACVB), Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) and the Omni Hotel at CNN Center joined together to serve as official hosts for the annual event. Nearly 700 tourism professionals are expected in Georgia from April 3 - 5, 2011. Information will be available soon on how you can get involved in the 2010 event in Birmingham and in the planning and executing of Showcase 2011 here in Atlanta. We need to show this group what our Georgia partners can do and what wonderful hosts/hostesses we are. If you have any questions, please contact Katie Baasen via email at kbaasen@georgia.org.
Katie Baasen will attend the National Tour Association Leadership Committee meeting set for February 5-7, 2010. The committee is comprised of industry delegates who are involved with the National Tour Association and who have been invited to serve as a volunteer leader. The committee will meet with the Board of Directors to discuss planning for regional meetings including the 2010 Annual Convention in Montreal. If you have any questions, please contact Katie Baasen via email at kbaasen@georgia.org.
GDEcD held a Family Reunion Seminar for state tourism partners January 7-8 at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in Macon. The seminar covered the family reunion market including characteristics, trends, and how you can break into this growing segment. Thank you to all who attended - we look forward to your feedback from the evaluation sheets being sent out. It will help us determine what we did right and how we can improve on future seminars. If you have any questions, please contact Katie Baasen via email at kbaasen@georgia.org.
The Tourism division participated in and sponsored the American Bus Association (ABA) annual marketplace, January 15-19 at National Harbor, MD. The sponsorship allowed the tourism division to have a booth on the marketplace floor in an effort to maximize Georgia's exposure in this market. Katie Baasen and Jeffrey Tatum attended this event on behalf of the Georgia Tourism division and manned the as well as participate in pre-scheduled appointments with tour operators. Katie Baasen met with fifty operators during the DMO appointment session. Katie will distribute notes from her appointments in the coming weeks. Thank you to our co-sponsors who supported our efforts during the marketplace. If you have any questions, please contact Katie Baasen via email at kbaasen@georgia.org.
Georgia Peach Greet - GDEcD has started a new program for tour companies involving the state's 11 Visitor Information Centers. VICs are the perfect place for a pit stop for tour groups, the state's tourism division is encouraging the group

leader to plan a stop with the group, so we can showcase our southern hospitality and say "Hey Y'all". All we need is 48 hours advance notice to prepare special Georgia favors. The tourism division is offering it as an added amenity for a tour operator planning a tour to or through Georgia. This program is in conjunction with the motorcoach tracking the VIC staff is currently working on. Thank you to the VIC staff for their efforts on this program. Please contact Katie Baasen at kbaasen@georgia.org for more information.
"FYI from the Peach State" is sent quarterly to tour operators around the country. If you have any updates or special offers for the tour market and would like to have the information included in the e-newsletter, please contact Katie Baasen at kbaasen@georgia.org. The next newsletter is scheduled to go out on February 16.
CONSUMER SALES:
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! Consumer Sales Manager Pam Kruseck (pkruseck@georgia.org) will attend. To learn more about the Southern Women's Show, visit www.southernshows.com.
Southern Women's Show - Nashville, TN - April 14 - 17, 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! Consumer Sales Manager Pam Kruseck (pkruseck@georgia.org) will attend. To learn more about the Southern Women's Show, visit www.southernshows.com.
**Show schedule subject to change**
............................................................................................................................................ U.S. TRAVEL TRACKER
In response to the need for timely, high-value travel analysis in these volatile economic times, the U.S. Travel Association in collaboration with Tourism Economics has launched U.S. Travel Tracker. This service dives deep and provides subscribers with online access to monthly economic analysis, industry data, charts and sector performance reports, and the latest travel trends. Learn more at www.USTravelTracker.com.

............................................................................................................................................ TRAVEL TRENDS: 'GREEN' BECOMING STANDARD FOR HOTEL INDUSTRY
In November, the Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia became one of the hotel industry's leaders in helping improve the environment. The hotel in North Atlanta received certification through Green Globe an international program that promotes sustainability in the travel and tourism industries. Managed by Crestline Hotels & Resorts, the Crowne Plaza has instituted recycling and composting programs, as well as focused on energy conservation and other efforts. Hotel General Manager Craig Hillyard shared with Atlanta Business Chronicle thoughts on the hotel's green efforts. For the complete Atlanta Business Chronicle article, click here.
............................................................................................................................................ TRAVEL TRENDS: MORE BUSINESS TRAVELERS TRY TO DO TRIPS IN ONE DAY
Have Last year, Bill Hall clocked 100,000 miles traveling for business. But on at least half those trips, Hall never landed in a hotel bed. Instead, he flew round trip from his hometown of Dallas to Orlando or Los Angeles and was back home in time for dinner. "It cuts travel expenses," explains Hall, 62, a vice president at a telecommunications company. The speedy trips made his family happier as well. "I was home at night. ... They are of the opinion they'd rather have me come home late at night than not come home at all." For the complete USA Today article, click here.
............................................................................................................................................ TRAVEL TRENDS: EVEN MORE ROOM AT THE INN
Though it may seem counterintuitive at a time when many hotels around the country are having trouble filling their rooms, nearly 100 hotels are scheduled to open in major American cities this year. So how can so many hotels be opening even though the economy and travel remain so slow? The answer, according to Mark Lomanno, president of Smith Travel Research, is that "hotel building cycles rarely mesh just right with economic cycles." Planning a new hotel can take two to four years, and construction an additional one to four years. For the complete New York Times article, click here.

............................................................................................................................................ TRAVEL NEWS: VISITOR CENTER NUMBERS UP IN SAVANNAH AND VALDOSTA

Morning News article, click here.

Although the economic downturn of the past year and a half has taken its toll on tourism overall, Georgia is still a draw. As the first points of contact with as many as 13 million visitors each year, the state's 11 visitors centers give travelers their first taste of Peach State hospitality with access to maps and literature on historical sites, activities, recreation areas and attractions. For the complete Savannah

............................................................................................................................................ TRAVEL NEWS: HOSPITALITY EMPLOYMENT COULD SEE BOOST IN '10
Experts and analysts are predicting the hospitality industry in Atlanta could be one of the few bright spots in the employment outlook for 2010. As the city's second-largest employment category, hospitality businesses account for more than $11.4 billion annually and provide jobs for some 230,000 area residents. For the complete Atlanta Business Chronicle article, click here.

............................................................................................................................................ TRAVEL NEWS: GATEWAY CENTER A PLUS FOR SOUTH SIDE MARKET
A year after securing $134 million in financing, Grove Street Partners LLC and the city of College Park have opened one hotel, with another on the way, which will anchor the 1 million-square-foot Gateway Center at the Georgia International Convention Center. And despite the dismal economy, developers and city officials expect the burgeoning project near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to attract business travelers and conventioneers, as well as spur further activity on the south side of Atlanta. For the complete Atlanta Business Chronicle article, click here.

............................................................................................................................................ TRAVEL NEWS: FOR SOME, HASSLES DIM THE APPEAL OF AIR TRAVEL
The beefed-up security - plus already aggravating airline policies such as double- and triple-digit fees not included in ticket prices - raises the question: Is flying worth the hassle? More than one-quarter of American travelers now don't think so, a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds. The survey, taken Jan. 5-6, reveals that 27% of those who've flown round trip at least twice during the past year are more likely now than in the past to travel by car, train or another mode of transportation to avoid the inconveniences of flying. For the complete USA Today article, click here.

............................................................................................................................................ TRAVEL NEWS: UNWTO 2010 FORECAST INDICATES BOTTOMING OUT
Global tourism is set to rebound this year by between 3 and 4 percent as the world economic downturn's effects on the travel industry appear to have bottomed out, the United Nations World Tourism Organization announced. "Recovery is underway, and it's taking place earlier and is stronger than we initially expected," UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai said at a press conference at the organization's headquarters in the Spanish capital. For the complete Hotel News Now article, click here.
............................................................................................................................................ TRAVEL NEWS: DON'T USE THE R-WORD: HOTELS FIND TRICK TO BUSINESS BOOKINGS
To attract business conferences in these tough times, some luxury resort hotels have resorted to a sort of strategy of last resort: They're dropping the very word "resort" from their names. For the complete Wall Street Journal article, click here.
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