Tourism in review [Oct. 2003]

Tourism

October '03 in review . . .

Volume 20 October

STATEWIDE PUBLIC RELATIONS:
... Georgia Tourism coverage for the first quarter of FY04 garnered more than 154 million impressions worth approximately $2.27 million in ad value. Georgia was frequently featured in such top in-state publications as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Savannah Business Report & Journal, Georgia Trend and WhereAtlanta; top national publications such as USA Today, New York Times, Orlando Sentinel and Houston Chronicle; and top travel publications such as National Geographic Traveler, Sky, Arthur Fromer's Budget Travel and Travel America.
... Georgia's First City, is featured on CNN.com in a travel article entitled "Walk Your Scaredy-pants Off" in Savannah. CNN told the Savannah CVB that the Georgia Coast article was the 6th most popular story on the entire web site and averaged 20 million views a day! To view the entire article: http://www.cnn.com/2003/TRAVEL/10/30/sprj.ft03.hauntedsavannah/index.html
... Atlanta takes center stage in the October issue of Delta Sky Magazine. Author Jonathan Lener spotlights "Atlanta Nights" on pages 45-51. Hot restaurants, clubs, bars and entertainment are highlighted. Meanwhile, Augusta was featured in the October issue of Destinations Magazine on pages 28-33. Author Heather Haynes highlights the Augusta canals with photographs.
... The Public Relations Society of America's annual International Conference was held in New Orleans Oct. 26-29. GDITT Media Relations Manager Trish Croll represented the State Tourism Division at the conference. Keynote speakers included Mary Matalin and James Carville, husband and wife political and media strategists. Also featured was CNN analyst and former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Foreign Affairs Victoria Clarke. Public Relations professionals from around the U.S. and Canada gathered to participate in over 130 educational seminars, including several media relations workshops.
... Utilizing GDITT co-op funding and community contributions, The Historic High Country Travel Association's spring 2003 press tour efforts helped generate a Sunday edition travel article, highlighting Dalton and Adairsville in the Huntsville Times on Oct. 12. The return on an estimated $6,000 investment helped generate approximately $45,000 in media value.

Augusta

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Tourism

October '03 in review . . .

Volume 20 October

Harris

Young

INTERNATIONAL:
... GDITT Director of Global Sales Bob Harris and GDITT tourism representative for the United Kingdom Anne Young attended the Rhythms of the South Showcase held in Nashville, TN. Rhythms of the South is sponsored by Delta Airlines for international tour operators who bring business to the South. In attendance were more than 80 tour operators and 18 journalists from 25 countries, including 22 tour operators from the United Kingdom.

RESEARCH:
... According to TIA's recently released 2002 domestic travel market report, the internet is now the top media used for planning domestic USA Travel. Media used in the past year to plan a trip or vacation included: 40% - Internet website 25% - Newspaper travel section 17% - General interest magazine 15% - Membership publication 14% - Consumer travel magazine 11% - Travel trade or business publication 9% - Electronic or e-mail newsletter 5% - Travel radio show
... Latest statistics from Smith Travel show September hotel revenue was up 4.6% over 2002. The North Georgia Mountains & Coast had the highest increases in September showing over 10% increase in both regions over 2002. Year-to-date State revenue over 2002 shows a slight decrease at -1.9%, but revenue is recovering at a slow and steady pace.
... Planning for the Southeastern Tourism Society & Southeast Chapter of the Travel and Tourism Research Association's joint spring meeting has begun. STS and SETTRA are joining forces during the spring meeting in Memphis, TN, at the Peabody Hotel March 21 - 24, 2004, which will be the first time for both entities to collaborate their educational offerings. Please contact Suzanne Moon with STS at suzanne@southeasttourism.org or Nicole Lamkin at nlamkin@georgia.org at GDITT for more information.

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Tourism

October '03 in review . . .

Volume 20 October

VIC REPORT OCTOBER 2003: 2,370 reservations $141,761 revenue $255,960 impact
SAVANNAH VIC: 1,278 reservations $75,110 revenue $139,059 impact

VICS:
... GDITT has partnered with the Georgia Department of Transportation to install 52" plasma screens in nine of the eleven visitor information centers. The monitors will display information on traffic situations on four major highways in Georgia including I-20, I-75, I-95, and I-85, as well as travel and tourism information. The screens will be available for viewing even after business hours.
... A class of German and American students visited the Sylvania center during a Screven County tour on October 8th. They were treated to refreshments, Georgia fans, and German/English GOMM Travel Guides. Meanwhile, visitors and staff at the Sylvania VIC enjoying their annual Sweet Potato Pie Day, compliments of R & D Restaurant/Sylvania. The West Point Center was in the holiday spirit during October with the pumpkins displayed from Burt's Pumpkin Farm in Dahlonega. The largest one weighed 100 pounds.
... Georgia's 11 Visitor Information Centers had a total of 2,370 assisted reservations during the month of October. This is a 3% increase over October of 2002. The reservations add up to $141,761 in hotel revenue and a total of $255,960 in Tourism Economic Impact for the month of October.
The Savannah Visitor Information Center completed 1,278 assisted reservations. This calculates to $75,110 in hotel revenue for a total of $139,059 in Tourism Economic Impact.
SALES:
... The GDITT tourism sales team attended two consumer shows in October within the regional drive markets of Birmingham, Alabama and Jacksonville, Florida. The Southern Women's Shows where held over four days and had 30,000 in attendance. The consumer shows are open to the Georgia Tourism Industry for co-op, with very low fees to reach this market. For more information on co-op sales opportunities with GDITT visit www.marketgeorgia.org or call Laurie Rowe at 404-656-3547.

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Tourism

October '03 in review . . .

Volume 20 October

Lake Lanier

MARKETING:
... Best Western and GDITT are partnering once again to produce a fall broadcast advertising campaign. The Best Westerns of Georgia have offered $50,000 for joint advertising, which has been matched by GDITT. Beginning November 3, GDITT and Best Western will have TV commercials running in Albany, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon and Savannah, and a four-week campaign on GPTV. The TV stations have again partnered with GDITT to give spot for spot matching for this two-week campaign.
... Let's Go To The Movies! Look for the joint commercial (15-seconds Best Western/30-seconds GDITT spot/15-seconds Best Western) in Atlanta AMC Theaters. The spot will run as one of 3 commercials just prior to the previews. In Albany, Augusta, Savannah and Columbus AMC/Carmike Theaters look for the on screen slide ad, which will rotate three times prior to the previews. (AMC recommends arriving 20 minutes before the movie starts to be sure and catch the pre-show commercials...and the best seats!) For more information check out MarketGeorgia.org.
... Already in the works, the online golf campaign has had great results and will run through the middle of November. And the Fall/Holiday newspaper insert will drop November 23 in Birmingham, Chattanooga, Jacksonville, Greenville, Huntsville, Knoxville and Macon.
REGIONAL:
... Fall colors are blanketing the North Georgia Mountains. The ChattahoocheeOconee National Forests Weekly Fall Color update stated that the peak week for fall color in the North Georgia Mountains was the third or fourth week in October. But it's not too late to enjoy the changing of the leaves or the vibrant colors that Mother Nature has painted in Georgia.
... New replica Petersburg canal boats have just arrived in Augusta and are now open for tours along the historic Augusta Canal. Designed to transport 45 passengers at a time, the modern-day Petersburg boats are patterned after the long, narrow wooden vessels that carried cotton, tobacco and other goods along the canal and Savannah River during most of the 19th Century. The boats are similar to a wooden replica now housed in the Augusta Museum of History.

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Tourism

October '03 in review . . .

Volume 20 October

... Georgia Tourism's 2004 GOMM Golf Guide is nearing completion and will be going to the printers soon. Over $54,500 in advertising has been sold for the marketing piece. The new guide features a selection of new golf photography to help promote courses throughout the state.

EVENTS:
... The 2003 state-sponsored Georgia National Fair's attendance was up five percent over last year. Named a Southeast Tourism Society "Top 20 Event for October," the fair's attendance in Perry rose to a new level of 384,206. This is a credit to the vision of Georgia's leaders and a solid history of successful fairs at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter. Plans are already underway for the 15th annual, state-sponsored Georgia National Fair scheduled for October 8-17, 2004.

Lamkin

AWARDS:
... GDITT Marketing Research Manager, Nicole Lamkin, has been asked to serve on the TIA Travel Research Consortium. The consortium provides a unique forum for travel industry research executives to discuss common marketing research issues and needs in a non-competitive atmosphere. "Please join me in congratulating Nicole on this prestigious appointment," Janis Cannon, Deputy Commissioner, Tourism said. "Her involvement gives Georgia a voice and national recognition to the industry."
... Ventura & Company, an Atlanta-based strategic marketing agency, has won a third place PRO Award for a Georgia Tourism promotion. The PRO Awards are sponsored by Promo Magazine and recognize the very best in promotion marketing throughout the U.S. The award was in the Category of "Best Campaign Generating Brand Volume" for the 2002 "Georgia Getaways" campaign. First place in the category went to Chicago-based Frankel for their launch of Nestl's WONKAaahh! candy bar. Second place was awarded to DVC Worldwide for their "Do You Know A Brawny Man" for GeorgiaPacific's Brawny Towels.

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