International Dignitaries to Tour East Georgia

ATLANTA, April 15, 2008 — Close to 30 consular and trade officials from two dozen countries will visit business and hospitality centers in East Georgia from April 23 to April 25 during Georgia's 22nd Annual International VIP Tour. The tour will showcase destinations and businesses in the region and give Georgia's diplomatic corps opportunities to meet local officials in Athens, Greensboro, Milledgeville, Madison, Sandersville and Swainsboro.
The tour, which combines travel destinations with significant economic development projects and local business leaders, is the only event in the state that enables Atlanta's diplomatic corps to meet local Georgians in their own communities.

'The VIP Tour is a tremendous opportunity for Georgia's diplomatic and trade communities to connect with local leaders, visit successful businesses and experience the unique places that contribute to our robust economy,' said GDEcD Commissioner Ken Stewart. 'These first-hand experiences allow the consular corps to see what Georgia's business and cultural assets have to offer their respective countries.'

The International VIP Tour is a unique program that is mutually beneficial for participants and host regions. Each year, tour participants visit a part of the state they might not otherwise experience in order to enhance their understanding of Georgia's amenities and culture. The tour also offers communities the opportunity to establish relationships with international business representatives

This year's VIP Tour will include representatives from Albania, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Slovenia, and United Kingdom.

'Our consular corps always looks forward to getting to know the people of Georgia via the VIP Tour,' said the Honorable Carlos Layús, Consul General for Argentina and Dean of the Consular Corps. 'Visiting different parts of the state is the best way to find out new ways our countries can make social, political, economic and cultural connections with Georgia's communities.'

The VIP Tour will visit sites highlighting East Georgia's diversity of manufacturing, educational, tourism, entertainment and cultural industries. The first stop on Wednesday, April 23, is in Athens at the University of Georgia's Complex Carbohydrate Research Center. After a tour of campus, the VIPs will take a trip to Merial's vaccine production facility.

The group will visit Madison and then enjoy an overnight stay in Greensboro. Thursday, April 24, trip participants will journey to the Thiele Kaolin Company in Sandersville and later make a stop at the National Nanotechnology Manufacturing Center in Swainsboro. The VIPs will stay overnight in Swainsboro.

Friday the VIP Tour will travel to Milledgeville and visit the Governor's Mansion, the Legislative Chambers and Museum and Lockerly Arboretum.

The Atlanta Consular Corps consists of consuls general, consuls, honorary consuls and trade commissioners representing 60 countries. Career officers are members of their country's foreign services while honorary officials are local residents appointed by foreign governments to perform consular duties. Each consulate offers diplomatic and business assistance to nationals from their respective countries.

Currently, 43 countries operate more than 1,700 internationally-owned facilities in Georgia. In fiscal 2007, international companies accounted for 17 percent –$416 million – in new investment in the state.

The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, video and music projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. For more information, visit www.georgia.org.