Georgia tourism monthly e-newsletter, Nov. 2010

November 2010 Issue
In This Issue:
GEORGIA TOURISM PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT GRANTS AWARDED PRESS RELEASE: STEP BACK IN TIME IN GEORGIA THIS HOLIDAY SEASON UPDATED: 2011 TOURISM DAY AT THE CAPITOL TRAVEL SOUTH SHOWCASE 2011 PREPARATIONS ARE IN FULL SWING GDEcD SALES TEAM UPDATE GDEcD RESEARCH UPDATE A CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: THE GEORGIA TRUST'S 2011 PRESERVATION AWARDS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE COLUMBIA COUNTY CVB GRADUATES FROM THE GEORGIA ACADEMY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HISTORIC MARIETTA TROLLEY COMPANY IS COBB CVB ATTRACTION MEMBER OF THE YEAR HISTORIC AUGUSTA NAMED AFFILIATE OF THE YEAR BY GEORGIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY GEORGIA NEWS: DELTA TO RESTART ATLANTA-SHANGHAI FLIGHT GEORGIA NEWS: $15 MILLLION HOTEL-CONFERENCE CENTER PLANNED ON LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN GEORGIA NEWS: DUBLIN'S DEANO'S TABBED AS ONE OF COUNTRY'S '51 GREAT PIZZA PLACES' GEORGIA NEWS: FOUR SEASONS HOTEL ATLANTA RECEIVES FIVE-STAR AWARD INDUSTRY NEWS: PHONE APP TURNS TOURISM INTO VIRTUAL SCAVENGER HUNT INDUSTRY NEWS: ARE TRAVELERS OVERLOADED BY SOCIAL MEDIA? INDUSTRY NEWS: HOTELS.CA SURVEY FINDS MOST TRAVELLERS RESENT PAYING FOR PARKING AND WIFI INDUSTRY NEWS: HOW DO RETAILERS GET SHOPPERS TO STOP? TRY GOATS. ON A ROOF. INDUSTRY NEWS: SURVEY: 60% USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO 'CALL' HOME WHEN TRAVELING INSTEAD OF PHONE, E-MAIL

........................................................................................................................................................................ GEORGIA TOURISM PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT GRANTS AWARDED
The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) has awarded $119,984 in tourism product development grants to 12 tourism entities across the state. The Tourism Division, through the new Tourism Product Development Grant program, seeks to financially support tourism development activities at the local level in both urban and rural areas. For the complete press release, click here.
............................................................................................................................................ PRESS RELEASE: STEP BACK IN TIME IN GEORGIA THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
It's winter already! And, this year, all over Georgia, historical holiday offerings abound. Georgians and visitors alike get a chance to "step back in time" and celebrate the holiday as they were celebrated in eras past, including: an Edwardian themed holiday at Hickory Hill in Thomson; Victorian holidays in Savannah, Tifton, Thomasville, and Columbus; Antebellum themed holidays in Milledgeville and Roswell; Native American holiday festivities in Calhoun and Toccoa; and a Dickens Christmas in Adairsville. For the complete press release, click here.
Antebellum Christmas at Old Governor's Mansion
............................................................................................................................................ UPDATED: 2011 TOURISM DAY AT THE CAPITOL
Join the Georgia Tourism Industry in Atlanta on January 25, 2011 from 8:00am - 1:30pm for the 2011 Tourism Day at the Capitol. Staying overnight? The Atlanta CVB has negotiated a special rate of $99.00 + tax at the Marriott Marquis at Peachtree Center Avenue. For more information, contact the Marriott Marquis at 404-521-0000. Be sure to mention the special rate code for "Tourism Day at the Capitol.". For more information, please contact GDEcD's Nerissa Serrano at nserrano@georgia.org; GACVB's Beda Johnson at bjohnson@columbiacountyga.gov; or TDAG's Joy Walstrum at joy@tourismdevelopmentalliance.org.
2010 Tourism Day at the Capitol

............................................................................................................................................ TRAVEL SOUTH SHOWCASE 2011: PREPARATIONS ARE IN FULL SWING
Register now for the 29th Annual Travel South Showcase in Atlanta from February 22 - 24, 2011. For more information, click here or contact Rob Nolen at 404-231-1790.
............................................................................................................................................ GDEcD SALES TEAM UPDATE
International:
Pam Kruseck and Nija Torrence attended the National Tour Association (NTA) Convention in Montreal, Canada from November 13 17. The Tourism division had a booth in the Convention Mall. The Georgia team also had successful appointments with tour operators. The 2011 event will take December 5- 9 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Pam Kruseck attended the AAA Superbowl of Knowledge in Charlotte, NC from November 19 - 20. Pam launched the Georgia Specialist Program and met with AAA Carolinas Travel Counselors. More than 200 AAA South Travel Counselors are part of our Specialist Program. We look forward to working with AAA Carolinas to add more Georgia Specialists to the team, so they can better promote Georgia to their AAA membership.
AAA Great Vacations Expo - Columbus, OH - January 21 - 23, 2011 - Did you know that Ohioans spend more than $1.5 billion on vacation travel and accommodations annually? We look forward to sharing information about Georgia with attendees. In 2010, 12,900 travelers attended the popular expo event. GDEcD is offering tourism partners an opportunity to co-op for this event. Please contact Pam Kruseck via pkruseck@georgia.org for co-op information.
Southern Women's Show - Savannah, GA - February 4 - 6, 2011 - The Southern Women's Show attracts more than 12,000 women over the three-day period. This consumer show offers women travel information, beauty tips, cooking, fashion, health & well-being, shopping, giveaways and much more! To learn more about the Southern Women's Show, visit www.southernshows.com. Please contact Pam Kruseck via pkruseck@georgia.org for co-op information.
Domestic:
Joseph Walker and Kevin Langston traveled to Brazil to participate in Georgia events with the country's largest international tour operator. The Georgia Tourism Division joined forces with Marsans to launch Georgia product to nearly 300 travel agents including the president of ABAV (an association representing all travel agencies in Brazil) in Rio de Janeiro on November 3 and Sao Paulo on November 4. The Deputy Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, tourism executives and business development dignitaries were in attendance. Intense training of Georgia product with Brazilian agents is set to begin in December 2010 and January 2011.
Joseph Walker met with leading tour operators in Italy and France from November 8 - 13, 2010. Joseph participated in Showcase USA Italy 2010 in Venice from November 11 - 13 and the America's Forum in Paris, France on November 15.

Joseph Walker and Stella Xu attended the China International Travel Mart (CITM) from November 18-21, 2010 in Shanghai. The Atlanta CVB, Brunswick & Golden Isles CVB and Visit Savannah partnered with GDEcD and provided brochures for distribution at the show. In addition, Columbus State University and Best Friends Travel, an Atlanta Chinese receptive, participated in the event with GDEcD. More than 100,000 people including tourism industry representatives and consumers were in attendance. The Georgia Tourism division has had much success in the Chinese market including participating in two Chinese sales missions, hosting two Chinese tour operator FAM tours in Georgia, participating in more than 20 tourism related tradeshows/promotional seminars in China and sending quarterly newsletters to more than 200 Chinese tour operators. As a result of the increase in marketing to Chinese tour operators over the past two years, this year for the first time, four Chinese outbound tour operators will feature Georgia product in their catalogs.
**Show schedule subject to change**
........................................................................................................................................... GDEcD RESEARCH UPDATE
Travel & Tourism Satellite Accounts:
The tourism industry moved 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 measurement allows us to compare the tourism industry impact with other industries in Georgia. TSA shows how other industries in Georgia benefit from tourism activity including all spending by and on behalf of travelers. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis utilizes this standard making it the national benchmark.
Key findings from the 2009 Georgia TSA report include:
q In 2009, the total tourism demand tallied at $26 billion, declining 9.7% from the previous year. q In 2009, the direct GDP of the tourism sector fell 6.6% to $9.3 billion. q In 2009, the economic activity sustained 383,000 jobs including direct, indirect, and induced impact. q 10.1% of all jobs in the state are directly and indirectly sustained by tourism activities. This is an increase in share q since 2008 when 9.9% of employment was tourism-generated. q Including indirect and induced impacts, tourism in Georgia generated $2.3 billion in state and local taxes and $3.0 billion in Federal
taxes in 2009.
Georgia Visitor Information Centers: Year-to-date (YTD), Georgia Visitor Information Centers have assisted 2,107,665 visitors and have made 5,224 reservations on their behalf. Visitation is up 7%.
Hotel Trends YTD:
q Hotel/ Motel occupancy is up 6.8% statewide q Room rates (ADR) in Georgia is down -3.7% q Statewide, RevPAR is up 2.8% q Georgia room revenues are up 5.1% q Room Demand is up 9.2% q Room Supply is up 2.3%

2011 U.S. Travel Association Marketing Outlook Forum Recap Nearly 500 research and marketing executives recently attended the 36th Annual U.S. Travel Association Marketing Outlook Forum in Las Vegas, Nevada. Attendees benefited from hearing in-depth research and analysis, forecasting and best practices, and practical advice and guidance from many of the leading experts in the tourism industry. Click here for a recap of the 2011 Marketing Outlook Forum.

....................................................................................................................................... A CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: THE GEORGIA TRUST'S 2011 PRESERVATION AWARDS
The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is seeking nominations for its 2011 Preservation Awards, an annual list of preservation projects and individuals in the state who have made significant contributions to the field of historic preservation. The submissions deadline is Monday, December 6, and the winners will be announced in April. Awards are presented on the basis of the contributions of the person or project to the community and/or state and on compliance to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. Please visit www.GeorgiaTrust.org for a nomination form or call 404-885-7817. Nominations must be postmarked or e-mailed no later than Monday, December 6. Nominators and winners will be notified several weeks before being announced to the public the first weekend of April at an awards ceremony in Macon.

............................................................................................................................................ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE COLUMBIA COUNTY CVB GRADUATES FROM THE GEORGIA ACADEMY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Photo: 6th from left, Beda Johnson

The Board of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development recently announced the 2010 graduates of the Region Seven Multi-Day Training Program on November 2 including Beda Johnson, the executive director of the Columbia County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Class participants represented a number of professional and non-professional economic development fields, including elected officials, public servants, business leaders, educators, and social service providers from thirteen counties in the Central Savannah River Area. The Academy provided each of the graduates an opportunity to gain a unique understanding of the complexities of economic and community development on the local, regional, and state levels. The next Region Seven Georgia Academy for Economic Development will begin in August 2011. For more information on this, please contact Tina Hutcheson at 478-469-3751 or by email at tina.hutcheson@dca.ga.gov.

............................................................................................................................................ HISTORIC MARIETTA TROLLEY COMPANY IS COBB CVB ATTRACTION MEMBER OF THE YEAR
The Cobb County Convention & Visitors Bureau annually names notable members, those that build on the county's rich history and charm blended with the contemporary and diversity of the community. In its announcement, the Convention & Visitors Bureau noted that the Trolley has "...made a big impact in a short amount of time. This unique company has provided transportation for events, hosted the entire CVB team for their historic tour of Marietta and provided complimentary tickets for travel writers and various events. When asked, this company's answer is always 'Yes, we will help in any way that we can!'" For more information about the Marietta Trolley Company, click here.
............................................................................................................................................ HISTORIC AUGUSTA NAMED AFFILIATE OF THE YEAR BY GEORGIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Historic Augusta, Inc. was named the recipient of the 2010 Roger K. Warlick Local History Achievement Award. Dr. Todd Groce, Georgia Historical Society President, presented the Affiliate of the Year award to Historic Augusta at the preservation organization's Annual Meeting held on November 4. The Warlick awards recognize the efforts of historical organizations across the state to collect, preserve, and share the history of Georgia with the general public in six categories: Affiliate of the Year, Archival Excellence, Exhibits, Media Project, Programs and Preservation Project.
............................................................................................................................................ GEORGIA NEWS: DELTA TO RESTART ATLANTA-SHANGHAI FLIGHT
Delta Air Lines Inc. will restart a nonstop flight from Atlanta to Shanghai launched in 2008 during a high point in Georgia-China relations but canceled a year later amid a recession and a reshuffling of its global route map. This time Delta will take it slow in Shanghai, launching the flight twice weekly beginning June 5 and adjusting its frequency based on performance. The March 2008 flight began with daily service. The Shanghai flight was announced in a Delta news release that outlined the airline's new international flights for 2011. The news was met with enthusiasm by members of Atlanta's Chinese community, some of whom were perplexed when Delta dropped the flight in 2009 and have lobbied since then to bring it back. For the full Global Atlanta article, click here.
Photo: Trevor Williams

............................................................................................................................................ GEORGIA NEWS: $15 MILLLION HOTEL-CONFERENCE CENTER PLANNED ON LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN
Officials of Walker County, Ga., announced Sunday, November 21 that the Georgia Department of Community Affairs has made available $15 million in Recovery Zone Bonds for the design and construction of a 150-room hotel and conference center at the Canyon Ridge Resort on Lookout Mountain. "This will have a tremendous economic impact including providing over 250 jobs with pay rates well above the local average and adding significant value to our tax revenue base. This is an incredibly important development, particularly during these challenging economic times." For the full Chattanoogan article, click here.
............................................................................................................................................ GEORGIA NEWS: DUBLIN'S DEANO'S TABBED AS ONE OF COUNTRY'S '51 GREAT PIZZA PLACES'
The food sometimes gets lost in all the character and charm of Deano's -- with its towering walls and wood-fired, authentic Italian brick oven. The restaurant recently was ranked in some high company when it was picked as one of USA Today's "51 Great Pizza Parlors." The article, of course, noted the oven Nichols had shipped over from Italy and mentioned its "beautiful loftlike space," but it also touted the handmade pizza and made-from-scratch recipes that use local, fresh ingredients. As the pizza pick for Georgia, the restaurant saw an instant boost in business, which the couple called a literal "answered prayer." At least 20 out-of-town parties who were staying at local hotels and got the newspaper free with their rooms came in to give the place a try, Rob Shaffer said. For the full Macon Telegraph article, click here.
............................................................................................................................................ GEORGIA NEWS: FOUR SEASONS HOTEL ATLANTA RECEIVES FIVE-STAR AWARD
The Forbes Travel Guide has listed the Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta as its only five-star hotel in the area this year. The Cloister on Sea Island and The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club on St. Simons Island made the five-star list as the only other Georgia hotels. The Georgian Room on Sea Island was the only Georgia restaurant to receive a five-star rating this year from Forbes Travel Guide, formerly Mobil Travel Guide. The Cloister Spa on Sea Island got the only five-star rated spa in the state, as well. Making the four-star hotel list were The InterContinental Buckhead, The Mansion on Peachtree in Buckhead, The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead and The St. Regis Atlanta in Buckhead. For the full Atlanta Business Chronicle article, click here.

............................................................................................................................................ INDUSTRY NEWS: PHONE APP TURNS TOURISM INTO VIRTUAL SCAVENGER HUNT
Going nowhere fast in rush-hour traffic downtown, quickly losing hope that I'd reach yoga class on time, I was reminded by my iPhone that there was a little patch of peacefulness nearby. I pulled off the main road and soon was sitting in a garden by a riverfront pagoda, a place I'd visited occasionally but hadn't thought about recently, until I started playing SCVNGR. To play SCVNGR (pronounced "scavenger"), you download a free app for your iPhone or Android phone, then go to places and complete challenges to earn points and unlock virtual rewards, such as badges, and real-world rewards, such as discounts at restaurants. For the full MSNBC.com article, click here.
............................................................................................................................................ INDUSTRY NEWS: ARE TRAVELERS OVERLOADED BY SOCIAL MEDIA?
Do travelers need to follow Twitter and Facebook in order to book an amazing deal? Here's how social-network fatigue could be impacting the way people plan trips. For the full Frommer's article, click here.
............................................................................................................................................ INDUSTRY NEWS: HOTELS.CA SURVEY FINDS MOST TRAVELLERS RESENT PAYING FOR PARKING AND WIFI
More than eight out of ten travelers dislike having to pay for hotel extras when on vacation, particularly for parking, ice and wireless internet service, according to a survey by Hotels.ca. Almost 86 percent of the customers who were surveyed think ice should be free, while 84 percent say they would like to see no charge for parking and 83 percent would prefer complimentary WiFi. Travelers also resent paying for wakeup calls (83 percent) and extra pillows and blankets (82 percent). For the full Wall Street Journal article, click here.
............................................................................................................................................ INDUSTRY NEWS: HOW DO RETAILERS GET SHOPPERS TO STOP? TRY GOATS. ON A ROOF.
Dad's making a bee-line for Gatlinburg," he recounts. And all of a sudden, as the family is driving past the Tiger, Ga., store he co-owns, the kids begin to shout."Dad, Dad, there's goats on the roof!" they say. Dad tells the kids they're nuts. He keeps going. But on the way back home, they want to stop. Dad says OK. He's going to prove to the kids that they're looking at very realistic statues. There are no goats on the roof. For the full Atlanta Journal Constitution article, click here.

............................................................................................................................................ INDUSTRY NEWS: SURVEY: 60% USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO 'CALL' HOME WHEN TRAVELING INSTEAD OF PHONE, E-MAIL
A new survey suggests that a whopping 60% of us now use social media - instead of making a call or sending an e-mail - to connect with our family and friends back home when we're traveling. The Sheraton-commissioned survey bases its findings on phone interviews with 4,024 people in the U.S., U.K. , and China. Conducted by StudyLogic LLC, the survey reveals some other brow-raising stats that back up what we already know - that social media is a driving force in many of our lives - even when we're busy traveling. For the full USA Today article, click here.
Photo: by Sheraton
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