June 2013 Issue In This Issue: GEORGIA'S TOURISM INDUSTRY IMPACT SURPASSES $50 BILLION FOR FIRST TIME HOMEGROWN WITH A TWIST SUMMER VIDEO CONTEST EXPLORE GEORGIA EMAIL NEWSLETTERS HAVE A FRESH NEW LOOK REGISTER NOW FOR THE 2013 GEORGIA GOVERNOR'S TOURISM CONFERENCE ARTS SPECIALTY LICENSE PLATE AVAILABLE GDEcD PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT UPDATE GDEcD TOURISM BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT UPDATE GDEcD RESEARCH UPDATE GDEcD MARKETING UPDATE GDEcD VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER (VIC) UPDATE GEORGIA NEWS: ASKA LODGE RECOGNIZED WITH TRIP ADVISOR'S CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE AWARD GEORGIA NEWS: TRIP ADVISOR HAS SELECTED CEDAR HOUSE INN & YURTS AS A GOLD LEVEL GREEN LEADER GEORGIA NEWS: THERESA JENKINS RETIRES FROM MARIETTA VISITORS BUREAU GEORGIA NEWS: THE KNOT NAMES BARNSLEY GARDENS RESORT ONE OF THE MOST TIMESLESS VENUES IN GEORGIA GEORGIA NEWS: ATLANTA THE NO. 4 CHEAPEST SUMMER TRAVEL DESTINATION GEORGIA NEWS: GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA NAMED A GREAT BOATING TOWN BY BOAT U.S. MAGAZINE GEORGIA NEWS: GEORGIA PRIVATIZING FIVE STATE PARKS WITH UPSCALE LODGES AND GOLF COURSES INDUSTRY NEWS: INSTAGRAM LAUNCHES 15-SECOND VIDEO FEATURE INDUSTRY NEWS: U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE FOR MAY INDUSTRY NEWS: ALL SIGNS POINT TO NEAR-RECORD SUMMER FOR TRAVEL INDUSTRY NEWS: NEARLY 70 PERCENT OF AMERICANS PLAN TO MAKE A LONG WEEKEND OUT OF THE JULY 4TH HOLIDAY, ACCORDING TO ORBITZ SURVEY INDUSTRY NEWS: MOBILE MARKETING STRATEGIES INDUSTRY NEWS: NEW DEMAND TRENDS FORCE MARKETERS TO ADAPT ...................................................................................................................................................................... GEORGIA'S TOURISM INDUSTRY IMPACT SURPASSES $50 BILLION FOR FIRST TIME Georgia Tourism announced that tourism demand generated $51.2 billion in business sales including direct, indirect and induced impact in 2012, up 4.6 percent, according to the U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics. This visitor spending generated $2.8 billion in state and local tax revenue to Georgia. Every Georgia household benefited from state and local tax savings of $767 as a result of the tourism industry's tax contribution. Click here to access the press release. ...................................................................................................................................................................... HOMEGROWN WITH A TWIST SUMMER VIDEO CONTEST On May 15, the Georgia Tourism division launched the "Homegrown with a Twist" summer video contest! It is an opportunity for tourism partners, locals and visitors to tell us what they love about Georgia. We encourage you to share information about the contest via your social media platforms and with visitors. Contact Lauren Cleland (lcleland@georgia.org) for suggested social media posts. Deadline for contest entries is July 31. Click here for the link to learn more. ...................................................................................................................................................................... REGISTER NOW FOR THE 2013 GEORGIA GOVERNOR'S TOURISM CONFERENCE Make plans to attend Georgia's largest annual gathering of tourism professionals September 10 - 12, 2013 at the Marriott Evergreen Conference Resort in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Attendees will leave this conference with critical tools, tips and information to use immediately - helping you to grow and better market your destinations, hotels and attractions. Click here to register. ...................................................................................................................................................................... EXPLORE GEORGIA EMAIL NEWSLETTERS HAVE A FRESH NEW LOOK Have you seen the newly redesigned email newsletters from ExploreGeorgia.org? Don't miss an issue of the Explore Georgia travel email newsletter, featuring trip ideas, upcoming events and special deals delivered to your inbox twice a month. Also, subscribe to the monthly Civil War email newsletter, featuring stories about notable Georgians during the war, commemorative events, and special deals for history and heritage travelers. Content for the newsletters comes from ExploreGeorgia.org and GaCivilWar.org, so don't forget to post your events and deals through partner.exploregeorgia.org. Contact Lindsay Isaacs at lisaacs@georgia.org with any questions. Click here to sign up online. ...................................................................................................................................................................... ARTS SPECIALTY LICENSE PLATE AVAILABLE Georgia Council for the Arts invites all state vehicle owners to support the arts by reserving an arts license plate designed by Georgia artist Steve Penley. Ten dollars from each sale will support arts programs statewide. More arts programs means more jobs, more tourists, and more opportunities for growth. Click here to learn more. ...................................................................................................................................................................... GDEcD PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT UPDATE: GEORGIA TOURISM DEVELOPMENT ACT: NOTICE OF JULY 16, 2013 PUBLIC HEARING AND INTENT TO ADOPT RULES The Department of Community Affairs will hold a public hearing from 1pm - 3pm on July 16, 2013, in Conference Room 202 of the second floor of the Department of Community Affairs, 60 Executive Park South, Atlanta, Georgia 30329. The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) intends to present for public review its pending rule and regulations for implementation of the Georgia Tourism Development program. The proposed regulations will be presented to the DCA Board of Directors for approval and adoption at the August 7, 2013 Board meeting. Should the Board of Directors approve the rules, they will be submitted for filing to the Georgia Secretary of State. Any party wishing to express views or opinions regarding the Georgia Tourism Development Act, the proposed program rules and regulations, the public hearing, or the agenda may do so by submitting them in writing to: Mike Beatty, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, 60 Executive Park South, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, or by presenting them at the hearing. 2014 Tourism Product Development Agreements In an effort to promote tourism in Georgia, the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) and Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA), have partnered to offer the Tourism Product Development (TPD) Agreement. Eligible applicants may partner with non-profit organizations, businesses, individuals, or other government entities and the Agreement funds may ultimately go to the partner organization/person. Worth $15,000, TPD funds are designed to financially support sustainable tourism development activities at the local level that maintain and/or create jobs as well as attract tourists. Projects can be related to Georgia's unique cultural and heritage resources, natural areas, archaeological sites, architectural and engineering achievements, cultural landscapes, diverse heritage sites or artifacts. Examples include exhibits, performances, public art, festivals, etc. as well as bricks-and-mortar projects. The submission deadline for all application materials is July 31, 2013 at 5:00 P.M.. Click here to review and download the guidelines. ...................................................................................................................................................................... GDEcD TOURISM BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT UPDATE International: Georgia, along with several tourism partners, attended the U.S. Travel Association's IPW 2013 in Las Vegas (IPW.com) June 8 - 12. This annual travel trade show puts buyers from around the world in front of destinations to discuss products and marketing plans to ultimately sell the products. This year, participating in the Georgia booth were representatives from Sandy Springs Hospitality and Tourism, the Dekalb CVB, Macon CVB, VisitSavannah, the Gone with the Wind Trail, and Sweet Magnolia Tours. The three-day event produced approximately 100 faceto-face meetings. The meeting notes will be available July 19th. Upcoming International Activity: Germany and Switzerland Sales Mission - July 8-12 Australia Sales Mission - July 21-26 Receptive Sales Mission (NYC/Boston) - August 26-29 UK Sales Mission - September 23-37 Domestic: Georgia Tourism recently attended the Travel Alliance Partners (TAP Dance) Conference in Norfolk, VA from June 2 - 5 and met with 30 tour operators; the notes from this show have been released by the Tourism Project Managers. TAP is a unique organization that is owned by tour operators and many buy and sell their tour products from one another. This helps widen our reach to those tour operators who may not have been able to package a tour to Georgia before due to various reasons. Information on Georgia was well-received and many seem interested in learning more about possibilities for their tours statewide. Click here for additional information about TAP Dance. Georgia Tourism also attended the 2013 Collinson Media Collaborate Marketplace in Denver, CO from June 13 - 15. This two-day trade show put sellers of meetings and convention products in face-to-face meetings with meeting planners. Georgia met with approximately 25 meeting planners. These meeting notes will be available July 19th. Click here for additional information about Collinson Media Collaborate Marketplace. Upcoming Domestic Activity: GA/SC/AL Motorcoach Association - August 4 - 7 Student Youth & Travel Association - August 22 - 24 VMA/NCMA Regional Meeting - September 8 - 12 The first travel trade e-newsletter was released to tour operators in early May. Among sample itineraries, upcoming events and product highlights, it included submissions for the "My Georgia" Project from partners. The "My Georgia project" is an opportunity for partners to describe their product/destination in a few short words with an accompanying photo of the group sales contact. Ideas and questions for future "My Georgia" submissions can be sent to Priti Shah pshah@georgia.org. Another first for Georgia Tourism included organizing a webinar for tour operators that highlighted the Presidential Pathways region. We plan on bringing the focus to a different state region each time, highlighting new attractions and experiences all within a 20 minute timeframe, inspiring and refreshing tour operators and their current products. If your area has a new and exciting product, please keep this project in mind so we can do our best to bring it attention. Contact Priti Shah via email to learn more pshah@georgia.org. The Tourism Business Development Calendar recently has been released to all partners. This calendar provides information on all the tradeshows and sales missions that the tourism business development team plans to attend and includes information on any co-op opportunities that are available for FY14 (July 1, 2013 - June 30, 2014) ...................................................................................................................................................................... GDEcD RESEARCH UPDATE Visit the Industry Research page on www.MarketGeorgia.org for a comprehensive look at the latest facts and figures as they relate to tourism in Georgia. Just about everything you would want to know about the industry and how the business is measured can be found on this page. Below you will find Georgia's hotel industry performance for May 2013: May 2013: Hotel/motel occupancy increased 1.9% statewide Room rates (ADR) in Georgia were down 1% Statewide, RevPAR was up 0.8% Georgia room revenues increased 1.4% Room demand increased 2.4% in Georgia (from May 2012) Room supply was up 0.5% Year-to-date (YTD): Hotel/motel occupancy is up 3.9% Room rates (ADR) in Georgia are up 2.6% Statewide, RevPAR is up 6.6% Georgia room revenues is up 6.8% Room demand is up 4.1% in Georgia Room supply was up 0.2% ...................................................................................................................................................................... GDEcD MARKETING UPDATE Georgia Tourism Advertising Opportunities Available on ExploreGeorgia.org, GaCivilWar.org, ComeTourGeorgia.com and email newsletters Georgia Tourism partners can advertise on our official tourism website ExploreGeorgia.org, on our MOBI site mExploreGeorgia.org, in our bimonthly newsletter, on GaCivilWar.org, in our monthly CW150 newsletter: The Dispatch, and on our newest site ComeTourGeorgia.com. For rates and information regarding these great opportunities (limited inventory is available), please contact our sales representative: Kerin Wright 404-434-3399 cell 404-527-5522 office kwright@atlantamagazine.com In addition, we always encourage you to advertise in the state's official Georgia Travel Guide. For information regarding advertising opportunities in this publication, please contact our sales representative: Jill Teter, Travel Sales Director 877 554-0780 office 912 577-0062 cell jill-teter@comcast.net ...................................................................................................................................................................... GDEcD VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER (VIC) UPDATE 2013 Georgia On My Mind Days You are invited to participate in the Georgia Visitor Information Center's 2013 Georgia On My Mind Days. This is a great opportunity for free marketing and exposure to the thousands of travelers who come through Georgia's Visitors Information Centers. Showcase your Georgia attraction, hotel, restaurant, destination or product with displays and giveaways. If you are interested in participating - click here for contact information for each of our Visitor Information Centers. 2013 Georgia On My Mind Days: July 12, 2013 - Augusta October 4, 2013 - Ringgold ...................................................................................................................................................................... GEORGIA NEWS: ASKA LODGE RECOGNIZED WITH TRIP ADVISOR'S CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE AWARD For the 3rd year in a row, Aska Lodge Bed and Breakfast in Blue Ridge received this prestigious award, which places them in the top-performing 10% of all businesses worldwide on TripAdvisor. The award is given to businesses that consistently earn high ratings from TripAdvisor travelers. For more information about the Aska Lodge, visit www.askalodge.net. ...................................................................................................................................................................... GEORGIA NEWS: TRIP ADVISOR HAS SELECTED CEDAR HOUSE INN & YURTS AS A GOLD LEVEL GREEN LEADER TripAdvisor recently started a Green Leaders program for lodging that meets "green, eco-friendly" criteria. Congratulations to Fred and Mary Tanner for being selected. Click here to read more. ...................................................................................................................................................................... GEORGIA NEWS: THERESA JENKINS RETIRES FROM MARIETTA VISITORS BUREAU AND BRANDING AS ATLANTA'S PLAYGROUND Theresa Jenkins, Executive Director of the Marietta Visitors Bureau, retired on June 28. She retires as the longest serving convention & visitor bureau director in Georgia. She steps down with a long list of accomplishments including Tourism Leader of the Year for Georgia and the Dorothy Hardman Award from Southeast Tourism Society (the highest honor a member can earn). The City of Marietta honored Jenkins with the Key to the City and named June 14 - Theresa Jenkins Day. The Georgia Tourism division will miss her leadership and dedication to Georgia's tourism industry. ...................................................................................................................................................................... GEORGIA NEWS: THE KNOT NAMES BARNSLEY GARDENS RESORT ONE OF THE MOST TIMESLESS VENUES IN GEORGIA Barnsley Gardens Resort in Adairsville has been selected to be featured as one of the ten 'Most Timeless Venues in Georgia' in most recent July 1 issue of The Knot Magazine. For more infomation about Barnsleys Garden Resort, visit barnsleyresort.com. ...................................................................................................................................................................... GEORGIA NEWS: ATLANTA THE NO. 4 CHEAPEST SUMMER TRAVEL DESTINATION Atlanta remains among the most affordable summer trip destinations, according to TripAdvisor's third annual TripIndex Cities. The index is based on the combined costs for two for a one night stay in a four-star hotel, cocktails, a two-course dinner paired with a bottle of wine, and round-trip taxi transportation (two miles each way). Atlanta is the fourth cheapest with a total cost of $331.14. Click here to read the Atlanta Business Chronicle article. ...................................................................................................................................................................... GEORGIA NEWS: GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA NAMED A GREAT BOATING TOWN BY BOAT U.S. MAGAZINE Boat U.S. Magazine named Gainesville, Georgia one of their top 10 Great Boating Towns to Retire+Play+Thrive in the June/July 2013 issue. Visit www.boatus.com/magazine/ for more information. ...................................................................................................................................................................... GEORGIA NEWS: GEORGIA PRIVATIZING FIVE STATE PARKS WITH UPSCALE LODGES AND GOLF COURSES Georgia is turning over management of five state parks with upscale lodges and golf courses to a private company - and 141 park employees are losing their state jobs and benefits. Park employees, who learned Monday of the dismissals, should be able to reapply for their old jobs through Coral Hospitality, the Coral Gables, Fla., hotel and resort management company that will run the parks. Click here to read the complete article. ...................................................................................................................................................................... INDUSTRY NEWS: INSTAGRAM LAUNCHES 15-SECOND VIDEO FEATURE Instragram announced its 130 million monthly users will now be able to shoot and share 15-second videos, dressed up with one of 13 special filters. The new video feature is available to all iOS and Android Instagram users around the world as a free update to the existing Instagram app. @ExploreGeorgia's Instagram account has already taken advantage of this new feature creating a virtual tour of Flat Creek Lodge in Swainsboro. Click here to @ExploreGeorgia on Instragram. Click here to read the complete article. ...................................................................................................................................................................... INDUSTRY NEWS: U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE FOR MAY The U.S. hotel industry reported increases in all three key performance metrics during May 2013, according to data from STR, parent company of HotelNewsNow.com. Overall, the U.S. hotel industry's occupancy rose 1.1% to 64%, its average daily rate was up 3.6% to $109.86 and its revenue per available room increased 4.7% to $70.34. Click here for the full report. ...................................................................................................................................................................... INDUSTRY NEWS: ALL SIGNS POINT TO NEAR-RECORD SUMMER FOR TRAVEL The unofficial kickoff of the summer vacation season found a growing number of people on the move, marking a steady return to travel as the economy recovers and consumer confidence improves. In fact, if the surveys and forecasts are right, 2013 could prove to be one of the strongest summers on record. Incentives, promotions, value-adds and a bounty of new apps are also helping to fuel interest in and demand for travel. Click here for the full report. ...................................................................................................................................................................... INDUSTRY NEWS: NEARLY 70 PERCENT OF AMERICANS PLAN TO MAKE A LONG WEEKEND OUT OF THE JULY 4TH HOLIDAY, ACCORDING TO ORBITZ SURVEY Americans are taking advantage of the Fourth of July falling on a Thursday this year with 66 percent of travelers planning to take the following Friday off to make a long weekend out of the holiday. Airports will also be busier with an 11 percent increase in air travelers over the previous year, according to new data released in the Orbitz July 4th Insider Index. Click here for the full report. ...................................................................................................................................................................... INDUSTRY NEWS: MOBILE MARKETING STRATEGIES Trip Advisor recently completed an industry insight guide on mobile marketing titled "Mobile Marketing How to Get your Share of 8 Billion in mobile bookings". Click here for the seven "key takeaways" from the feature. ...................................................................................................................................................................... INDUSTRY NEWS: NEW DEMAND TRENDS FORCE MARKETERS TO ADAPT Hoteliers must adapt to evolving demand trends, such as a shift from group to transient business and new consumer buying behaviors, reports Jason Q. Freed from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International's 10th Revenue Optimization Conference. Outside of the strength of leisure travel, there are several potential factors as to why group demand is down. One is the possibility that group travelers are going around room blocks and finding rooms on their own through transient channels. Hoteliers are seeing more and more group demand bleed off that way, the panelists agreed. Click here for the full report.