Georgia’s Deputy Commissioner for Tourism Kevin Langston presented many encouraging facts on March 28, 2
012 at a luncheon — sponsored by the Lake Lanier Convention & Visitors Bureau — at Lanier Charter Career Academy.
Georgia is divided into nine separate tourism regions. The most beautiful, obviously, includes Lake Lanier and our beloved Northeast Georgia “mountains.” This is more than my personal opinion, as evidenced by the fact that the Mountain region was the most profitable of all nine in 2010.
Lodging revenues for our area were 50% higher than for the other (less desirable?) regions. Sure, other parts of the state have copycat lakes, mansions, plantations and that ocean we’ve heard of, but when was the last time anybody climbed a mountain in the ocean or caught a dandy striper on a plantation? See what I mean? It’s no wonder we’re number one, thank you.
Mr. Langston said, “Folks are discovering this area and we’re making real progress.”
There are more than 8,500 jobs in Northeast Georgia that are related to tourism. Visitors to our glorious region spent more than $834 million last year — a whopping $2.28 million per day! That would make anybody want to kiss a Yankee.
One other interesting factoid. Mr. Langston’s office has a budget of zero for television advertising, yet among Southern states, only Florida (a Mickey Mouse state, if there ever was one) had more tourists than Georgia. That works.
Georgia mixes Southern hospitality with modern conveniences, according to Mr. Langston. We heartily agree.
