State Awards Tourism Product Development Grants

GA_Logo_CMYK_V_-r-ExploreGA_cmsATLANTA, November 18, 2009 – The Georgia Department of Economic Development's (GDEcD) Tourism Division has awarded tourism product development grants to 14 communities, convention & visitor bureaus, downtown development authorities and other non-profit tourism entities across the state. A total of $103,000 was awarded.
'The Tourism Product Development grant program financially supports tourism development activities at the local level to sustain and create jobs within the hospitality industry of Georgia,' said Bruce Green, director of Tourism Product Development. 'By leveraging local dollars and aiding communities in the creation and build-out of tourism product, it broadens the depth and breadth of tourism destinations we have in Georgia.'

This year, the Georgia Department of Economic Development received 29 applications with grant requests totaling more than $260,500 dollars. Independent judges scored the applications based on several factors, including economic impact, job creation and job sustainability, project goals and objectives, positive impact and the ability to attract visitors to the site.

Recipients of the 2010 tourism product development grants include:

  • Better Hometown of Nashville
  • City of Swainsboro Downtown Development Authority
  • City of Thomasville Planning Department
  • Decatur Downtown Development Authority
  • Downtown Development Authority of Union Point
  • Hapeville Association of Tourism and Trade
  • Jekyll Island State Park Authority
  • Montezuma Downtown Development Authority
  • North Georgia Canopy Tour
  • Rolling Hills Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc.
  • Rose of Athens Theatre, Inc.
  • The Historic Marietta Trolley Company
  • The President Theatre, Inc.
  • Vidalia Convention & Visitors Bureau

About GDEcD

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, music and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. For more information, visit www.georgia.org.