Tourism Product Development Team

The Product Development team assists private for profit, non-profit and governmental clients by analyzing their product development goals and objectives and providing organizational assistance. The Product Development team works in concert with the nine Regional Tourism Project Managers to provide technical assistance and in turn direct the client toward Georgia's various state agencies with their respective financial and technical assistance resources. The team works to develop and nurture partnerships to effect change and positively impact Georgia's visitor industry. The Office of Product Development assists communities and tourism partners in giving new life to existing resources and in fostering new tourism products within communities. This is done by delivering technical assistance and financial resources in hopes of creating new opportunities/markets for Georgia tourism products through strategic partnerships, packaging and marketing. The Tourism Product Development (TPD) team works to increase Georgia's tourism product development portfolio, and creating opportunities to introduce new audiences to Georgia's amazing variety of sites and attractions. TOURISM PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT RESOURCE TEAM In October 2009 the Tourism Product Development created a new initiative to focus technical assistance in the form of a reconnaissance and strategy visit to a local community interested in developing its tourism potential. In March 2010 The City of Quitman in Brooks County was the first community to receive a Resource Team visit from the Georgia Tourism Division's Product Development Office of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. During a Resource Team visit, the team members work in conjunction with local leadership and assess the portfolio of tourism related assets within the community relevant to the areas of heritage and cultural tourism and Agritourism. The Resource Team's objectives include inventorying and discussing those assets that are the most likely candidates for developing a tourism based economy in a community, as well as identifying obstacles that might impede the implementation of such an effort. A list of completed Resource Team reports can be found at Industry.ExploreGeorgia.org.