ATLANTA — Gov. Nathan Deal today joined Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Commissioner Chris Carr and Georgia’s tourism industry leaders for the annual Tourism, Hospitality & Arts Day at the state Capitol.
Representatives from the tourism industry presented Deal with a check representing the $2.8 billion in state tax revenue generated from tourism-related expenditures in 2013.
“With an overall economic impact of $53.6 billion, tourism in Georgia spurs growth in nearly every community across the state,” Deal said in a news release. “Each year, the industry attracts visitors from around the world and directly benefits thousands of Georgia households by sustaining more than 411,000 jobs, making up 10.2 percent of the state’s workforce.”
Deal also unveiled the cover of the 2015 official state travel guide. This full-color, magazine-sized guide features Georgia residents and famed chefs Hugh Acheson and “Mama Louise” Hudson on historic Jekyll Island.
The guide provides visitors with information on Georgia’s tourism assets, including trip ideas, attractions, accommodations, events and more. 700,000 guides are distributed through the state’s 11 Visitor Information Centers, ExploreGeorgia.org, travel and trade shows and 1-800-VISIT GA. GDEcD partnered with Atlanta Magazine Custom Media, the award-winning publisher of Atlanta Magazine and Southbound Magazine, on the travel guide.
