Tourism in review [Nov. 2003]

Tourism

November '03 in review . . .

Volume 21 November

Biking Heritage
Civil War

Trains

Agritourism

Music & Movies

Rivers/Lakes/ Golf Trails

Animal/Theme Parks

African American

Renfroe

Vereen

MARKETING
... GDITT has selected several themed taglines, which will be used for advertising, regional representative projects, website micro-sites and promotional development. The following themed taglines were chosen: Native American Heritage: "Catch the Spirit of Georgia" (Submitted by Tracy Quinton, West Point VIC) Bike Trails: "Ride the Wind in Georgia" (Submitted by Becky Morris, Atlanta Metro Regional Representative) Heritage: "It All Begins in Georgia" (Submitted by Linda Webb, Plains VIC) Trains: "Make Tracks Around Georgia" (Submitted by Beth Kay, Lavonia VIC) Civil War: "Connecting the Past to the Present" (Submitted by Judy Van Zant, West Point VIC) Agritourism: "Growing Up in Georgia" (Submitted by Peggy Rogers, Columbus VIC) Music and Movies: "Starring in Georgia" (Submitted by Jeannie Buttrum, Classic South Regional Representative)
Themes already in use: Rivers/Lakes/Trails: "Go With The Flow" Golf: "Master Your Game" Animal/Theme Parks: "Wild About Georgia" African American: "Soul of Georgia"
DOMESTIC SALES
... GDITT representatives Laurie Rowe and Nija Vereen attended the National Tour Association (NTA) annual marketplace and conference, Nov. 14-18, in Charlotte, NC, meeting one-on-one with over 40 tour operators that plan travel to Georgia. Many of these tour operators bring multiple bus trips to Georgia, each with an economic impact of $5,000 - $12,000 per day to local economies. NTA is recognized as one of the premier travel events held in North America. The five-day convention attracted more than 2,700 NTA travel professionals, including tour companies, tour suppliers (such as hotels, restaurants and attractions) and destination marketing organizations.
... Judy Renfroe, President of the Cobb County Convention and Visitors Bureau, was elected to the board of the National Tour Association. Renfroe will serve as the destination management organization director and during the second year of her term will serve on the NTA executive board.

Rowe

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Tourism

November '03 in review . . .

Volume 21 November

INTERNATIONAL
... The AAA Superbowl of Knowledge trade show was held in North Carolina November 21-23. GDITT Director of Global Marketing Bob Harris, Historic Heartland Travel Association representative Angela Millet and Jeff Mills, along with 12 other delegates from the DeKalb Convention and Visitors Bureau represented Georgia at the trade show. They met with AAA travel counselors requesting information. Meanwhile, Harris and Anne Young, Georgia's Tourism Representative in the U.K., attended the World Travel Market in London Nov. 9-14, 2003. Appointments were held with over 40 tour operators, journalists, and travel agents to promote Georgia as a tourism destination for travelers from the U.K.

Harris

Hammock

VICS
... Information Specialists from 11 Georgia Visitor Information Centers recently completed a four-day, three-night familiarization tour through the Magnolia Midlands travel region, Nov. 4-7. GDITT Regional Representative Lindsay Hammock coordinated the event designed to help tourism experts learn more about the region and gain first-hand knowledge about where to send visitors. In Hawkinsville, the group toured Lawrence Bennet Harness Racing Facility, the Gooseneck Farms Nut House, the Old Opera House and went into the woods with Big Creek Trail Rides. Other tour stops included Dublin's Welcome Center, Metter's Guido Gardens, Hendrix Farms, Warren Peanut Company and Brian's 66. In Hazlehurst, they paddled the Altamaha River by canoe, toured an1890's Homestead, and visited the Garden Gate Inn. In McRae, they ate at Southern Star Grille, toured Parkers Inn and Little Ocmulgee State Park. The VICs attending were from the Kingsland, Tallapoosa, Columbus, West Point, Lake Park, Lavonia, and Sylvania centers, as well as local welcome center staff from Douglas.

REGIONS
... The new Southern Rivers Birding Trail now has signs directing the public to established bird watching areas. The trail is fashioned after the successful Coastal Birding Trail and developed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division. The trail includes 30 sites in the Presidential Pathways and Plantation Trace travel regions and provides bird watchers with maps and guides listing hundreds of species in the area.

WWW.GEORGIAONMYMIND.ORG

Tourism

November '03 in review . . .

Volume 21 November

left to right: 2004 Golf Guide, Janis Cannon, Jeannie Buttrum
FULFILLMENT IS UP FROM
LAST YEAR BY
3,162
INQU IRIES!

... Governor Sonny Perdue, along with several dignitaries from the Plantation Trace Travel Region participated in a ground-breaking ceremony Nov. 11 for the new South West Georgia Motor Sport Raceway. The new drag strip and lap track tourism attraction in Cecil, located between Hahira and Adel, will open to the public in early spring with the first event scheduled for April. The first phase of construction is now underway and consists of building a facility with a seating capacity for 6,000.
... The new 2004 GOMM Golf Guide is at the printers and will be available by the end of December. Over 150,000 copies will be printed and distributed at 14 golf shows and for requests from the State's 1-800 number and website.
GDITT Deputy Commissioner Janis Cannon, Classic South Regional Representative Jeannie Buttrum and Cuscowilla representative Andrew Ward will be attending the International Golf Travel Market in the Dominican Republic in December. They will hold appointments with over 39 operators that are looking for Georgia golf destinations and group activities.
FULFILLMENT
... Fulfillment for Georgia Tourism information is up by 3,162 inquires from this same time last year.
Total requests gathered from Georgia's website, direct mail pieces, 1-800 number and Atlanta office totaled 134,825 from January through November 2003. Fulfillment for all of calendar year 2002 was 131,663 (excluding 46,693 from three sweepstakes promotions in 2002).

STATEWIDE HOTEL REVENUE
UP 3%
OVER OCTOBER 2002!

RESEARCH
... According to Smith Travel Research monthly Standard Historical TREND study, October 2003 hotel revenue was up statewide 3% over October 2002. Georgia's Coast & Mountains showed the highest revenue increases with 15% and 8% respectively. The Atlanta Metro region is still showing a loss of revenue. While occupancy numbers are up, the loss is in the decreasing average daily rate.
Year-to-date hotel revenue is down 1% ($28 Million) over 2002. All regions show an increase in revenue, average daily room rate, and occupancy percentage except the Atlanta Metro region. The Atlanta Metro region shows a 5% decrease in revenue, which equals $64 million.

WWW.GEORGIAONMYMIND.ORG

Tourism

November '03 in review . . .

Volume 21 November

PUBLIC RELATIONS
... Georgia Tourism coverage for the calendar year from January-October (including coverage from part of FY03 and FY04) garnered more than 284 million impressions worth approximately $3.3 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 Frommer's Budget Travel and Travel America.
... Planning for the 2004 Georgia Travel Media Marketplace is well underway. GDITT's largest media event will begin in Athens, March 19-21, and continue throughout the State on four FAM Tours through March 24, focusing on the theme of "music and entertainment." Save-the-date information has been sent out to national and regional media. Forty national and regional travel writers will be chosen to participate in the conference. Regional representatives are currently organizing FAM stops throughout their travel regions that will spotlight Georgia's many entertaining venues and destinations.

General Coffee Sttate Park in Douglas

St. Mary's

Lake Lanier

AWARDS
... Three cities in the State of Georgia have been nominated to compete for the American Dream Town USA 2004 Award! The cities of Douglas, St. Mary's and Helen have all been named for Georgia. The public has until midnight, December 31, 2003, to vote at http://www.americandreamtown.com for the winning towns. The winner in each state will be published in the tabletop book, American Dream Towns 2004, along with the original artwork. The town that has the most overall votes will receive the artwork for their public buildings, museum, or schools, and will be featured on the website.
The American Dream Show crew will visit the #1 American Dream Town for a one hour TV special highlighting prominent historic places, location and important people and things in the town; airing on WVVH.

Helen

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