Statesboro And Vidalia Set To Host States Travel Media Marketplace Event
ATLANTA, February 6, 2012 — The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is delighted to announce that Statesboro and Vidalia will host the state's 2012 Georgia Travel Media Marketplace event May 17 - 19. Up to 30 travel writers from the United States and Canada will meet with representatives from around the state during the marketplace to get story ideas about Georgia's tourism destinations, attractions and events.
'This event allows us to showcase Georgia first-hand to a variety of media outlets, in turn providing their audiences with vacation information," said Kevin Langston, Deputy Commissioner for Tourism for the Georgia Department of Economic Development. 'Travel writers will have the opportunity to discover new, fresh and unique story ideas in Statesboro and Vidalia.'
Travel media will meet with the host communities as well as Georgia's regional tourism representatives, regional travel associations and Georgia's State Parks, during the Marketplace. The writers will then depart on one of three themed familiarization tours around the state through May 22.
Known around the world for sweet onions, the Vidalia area is full of local flavor. Vidalia offers unique shopping, dining, scenic drives, and outdoor adventures. The Vidalia Area is centrally located between Savannah and Macon. Once pioneer towns, the cities within the Vidalia area were settled at the turn of the 20th century along the Savannah, Americus, and Montgomery Railroad, which opened this section of Georgia in the 1890s. Today, you can enjoy modern conveniences while still experiencing quaint, small town atmospheres full of smiling faces and friendly residents.
Southern charm meets college-town contemporary in Statesboro, less than 60 minutes from Georgia's coast. Georgia Southern University's 11-acre Botanical Garden blooms year-round and the Wildlife Center teems with raptors, reptiles and waterfowl.
Visitors can explore new Civil War archeology finds at the Natural History Museum and complete their getaway with fine and antique shopping, arts venues, a historic downtown stroll, and more than 200 restaurants.
Travel Media Marketplace is jointly hosted by the Georgia Tourism Division and the host communities to showcase Georgia's tourism assets first hand. Past Marketplace events have been held in Savannah; Athens; Macon; Atlanta; Hiawassee; Augusta; LaGrange and Coweta County; and Blue Ridge and Ellijay.
Travel writers interested in participating in this event can email Stefanie Paupeck at [email protected] for an application.
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 destination for arts events and location for film, music and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. www.georgia.org