Tourism Day at the Capitol 2009

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ATLANTA, January 27, 2009 - Today, Georgia's tourism industry presented Governor Perdue with a check for $844.9 million, the amount of state tax revenue generated by tourism-related expenditures. It was Tourism Day at the Capitol, an opportunity for the state's second-largest industry to spotlight the role it plays in the Georgia's economy. Ranked 8th in the nation among all the states, some key numbers for Georgia's tourism industry include a total economic impact (direct, indirect and induced) of $34.1 billion, $1.5 billion in state and local tax revenues, 241,800 jobs and $6.3 billion in resident wages. Without tourism-related tax revenues, every household in the state would pay about $505 in additional taxes, on average.

Governor Perdue also presented the official 2009 Georgia Travel Guide featuring the Belle Meade Riding Club in Thomson on its cover, and ended by proclaiming January 27, 2009 Tourism Day in Georgia.

Also in attendance were Senator Chip Pearson, Representative Ron Stephens, Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Commissioner Ken Stewart, Chairman of Georgia Convention and Visitors Bureau (GACVB) Lisa Smith, Chairman of Tourism Development Alliance of Georgia (TDAG) Sean McGinnis, GDEcD Deputy Commissioner for Tourism and Marketing Charlie Gatlin, GDEcD Assistant Commissioner of Tourism Kevin Langston, Representative Butch Parrish, Senator Jeff Mullis, Representative Tom Weldon, Representative Jay Neal, Representative Barbara Reece and Representative Michael Hardin.

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, please visit www.exploregeorgia.org.