[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6499588,"mediaKeyId","5824175-dea951cf586bc00ca3acfb3d6c569170","parentId",5824175,"title","Analysis: urban hubs lead Georgia lodging market while agritourism and distilleries offer rural growth opportunities","audioSeconds",527,"startMs",10831000,"endMs",11358000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5824175-dea951cf586bc00ca3acfb3d6c569170&start=10831&end=11358","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5824175-dea951cf586bc00ca3acfb3d6c569170/thumbnail_10831000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6499588/Georgia/Analysis-urban-hubs-lead-Georgia-lodging-market-while-agritourism-and-distilleries-offer-rural-growth-opportunities","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6499588-ab48d38203c1581b074e41b073e65622/orig.mp4?Expires=1775130281&Signature=VGoYZzdxKECUXawp393YM~TwKfR8Aspp2HQHcsaBIgLHcL~rvFcIPjdr0q4bUsl9QaYAnITxwaJnGg5r3ZFtpwLTk6DatEtiQXxIfOP0JY2~DE8JsOgETlbdU3MW-i33xcfaR4mYqiUk0A-B~V1UTnj4-I1tbn352Qqt6tzWigaigYXFFHadVC6YwVAfIhIaFMDNHYeRbhrKBhpgUpC0GFH89TPUZL5-C7L~15RKMcrHE9K16w-gajEjRgX5WgItj8DT4zL4HwHPvLA1QUkHpuF0ECxCrPNE1MpbQpKLrCHXAcWHh2EliXOvRxUD~RdyRLjTwgXBaZ-X6a9zRpVeOQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","State of Georgia ","date","2025-09-24T17:26:21.207Z","article","University of Georgia hospitality researchers told a Senate study committee in Savannah that Georgia's tourism economy is not uniform: urban markets dominate lodging and restaurant revenue, while distilleries, wineries and agritourism present targeted growth opportunities for nonmetro areas.

Dr. John Salazar, who presented a county-level location quotient analysis, said the urban lodging and full-service-restaurant sectors outperform rural counties on expected revenue share, while North Georgia performs relatively strongly in wineries and distilleries. \"Urban regions dominate the hotel supply chain,\" Salazar said.

Key regional findings cited

- Atlanta Metro: strong lodging and restaurant revenue performance compared with local economy; constrained arts and entertainment share in the data set.

- Coastal Georgia (Savannah/Chatham area): hospitality- and tourism-driven; restaurants are a strong revenue source, but agritourism is less developed. Salazar showed a lodging score of about 46% for Coastal Georgia in the 2023 data set and noted that new hotel development may raise that share going forward.

- North Georgia: the strongest showing for wineries and distilleries (regional value cited around 59.7%), making the region competitive in that sub-sector.

- South and Central Georgia: agriculture-heavy economies with weaker lodging and restaurant infrastructure in some counties.

Salazar recommended region-specific strategies: bundle urban lodging with rural agritourism day trips, support farm-to-fork restaurant linkages in rural counties, and invest in hospitality infrastructure where location quotient analysis shows gaps. \"Not all destinations are created equal,\" Salazar told the committee. \"Each county is going to have its own unique story.\"

Why this matters

The analysis is intended to help the state tailor marketing and product-development investments by region so state funds better match local assets and to guide DMO partnerships and feasibility studies for hotels, restaurants, and agritourism projects. Lawmakers said the analysis will help frame policy recommendations that differentiate investment by region rather than assuming a one-size-fits-all approach.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Meeting 1","oneSentenceSummary","University of Georgia analysis presented to a Senate committee showed urban regions (Atlanta metro and coastal hubs) dominate lodging and full-service restaurant revenue, while North Georgia leads in wineries and distilleries; agritourism opportunity and county-level variability were highlighted for targeted investment.","taxTitle","SENATE, Committees, Legislative, Georgia","taxId",17658,"location","Georgia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6499593,"UGA, hoteliers and DMOs tell Senate committee Georgia needs major workforce investment in hospitality",2632,9598000,12230000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5824175-dea951cf586bc00ca3acfb3d6c569170&start=9598&end=12230","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5824175-dea951cf586bc00ca3acfb3d6c569170/thumbnail_9598000.jpg","/articles/6499593/Georgia/UGA-hoteliers-and-DMOs-tell-Senate-committee-Georgia-needs-major-workforce-investment-in-hospitality","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6499593-d581cac043944751d89eb038e9132799/orig.mp4?Expires=1775130281&Signature=kIZnJSPHox85kijeMjfSsh9jXIEjx9xt2WsLekwv37LBELvof~y27fc5yq5yjHXBMpKcot3x0gmAE3QjUqbFvZZmGEbJEK3qAD285jjHd0CqAzbBBvYwEKs-7cAKAFjUAwqPHFPRG6p74~TrqEJ2lPVLUNZjxRHSKJ03l8Xvzps2GUQ2M8UtuxzDI5MxbNAr7vamxG6b2KUdc2QhJOMDwN0~Rye1iSkzIYJhXN9eSKIvQ91KHS3WvSnHoW0zCmCRwuB6GehFrn1kKUnNINWxsdQDozH38rSca1PLgtGQtz4Am3HZ1TvVPY67ysxgsOlnnbD~Ou1yrrft8S951R6mxQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","University of Georgia hospitality researchers and tourism executives told a Georgia Senate study committee that workforce development is central to expanding tourism and converting marketing gains into reliable jobs.

\"There are 486,000 Georgians who rely on this industry,\" said Michael Owens, president and CEO of the Tourism Leadership Council, citing the sector's employment scale as part of his presentation. Owens and other witnesses said the industry provides upward mobility but is highly dependent on entry-level hiring and retention.

Dr. John Salazar, head of hospitality at the University of Georgia, presented state labor and receipts data and flagged two structural challenges: lower receipts per employee in accommodation and food compared with other sectors, and a high turnover rate among stable positions in the hospitality NAICS categories. \"We have the largest turnover stable ratio of all the NAICS categories in Georgia,\" Salazar said, and added that lower receipts per employee make productivity and retention investments especially important.

Education pipeline and scale

Salazar told the committee there are roughly 40,000 high-school students currently enrolled in hospitality or career-technical tracks who could form an entry workforce if pathways to employment and college-level training are strengthened. He described University of Georgia extension programs, the Innovation District and Small Business Development Center partnerships as existing assets that can scale workforce training and entrepreneurship.

Panel recommendations

Witnesses urged the committee to consider:

- Sustained investment in hospitality workforce development programs that connect high-school career-technical courses to college certificates and employer internships. Dr. Salazar said, \"We have 40,000 kids in high school that want to get into these jobs in hospitality and tourism that are in the hospitality track for the career technical ag education program.\"

- Employer-driven training and retention supports, including career ladders, on-the-job training, and recognition of hospitality as a pathway to management roles.

- Cross-institutional coordination: Salazar and industry leaders recommended closer cooperation among DMOs, community colleges, the Carl Vinson Institute, and the Small Business Development Center to align curricula with employer needs.

Why it matters

Speakers emphasized that tourism's low receipts-per-employee figure means growth depends on hiring and retaining trained workers. \"If we're going to have a ladder of success, there better be rungs at the bottom,\" Owens said, adding that the sector offers broad upward mobility for workers who start in entry-level roles.

Next steps

The committee said it will collect additional data and consider workforce recommendations alongside marketing and funding proposals in subsequent meetings.","University of Georgia researchers and industry leaders told a Senate committee that Georgia's hospitality sector employs hundreds of thousands but faces high turnover, relatively low receipts per employee and a growing need for coordinated workforce development spanning high school, postsecondary and employer training.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6499596,"Savannah convention center expansion boosting events; 444-room Signia hotel project to begin groundbreaking",359,2674000,3033000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5824175-dea951cf586bc00ca3acfb3d6c569170&start=2674&end=3033","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5824175-dea951cf586bc00ca3acfb3d6c569170/thumbnail_2674000.jpg","/articles/6499596/Georgia/Savannah-convention-center-expansion-boosting-events-444-room-Signia-hotel-project-to-begin-groundbreaking","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6499596-77cfc8efde71b8c05d4ea5f7daab70cb/orig.mp4?Expires=1775130281&Signature=e3zjHUVlAh~kIb5Sdo3-EqoqvqGjPdna04xlWkVLInUXijWa57MpEkKRcml8XRbmB0YrH3C3tuOoOo7gnlmImLBD-dZopeLbz~MeFZQgu0vNdbsKxW38dymPxpUccLxY16c7Q-EcidSFVPFlZMJ9TJGGYhALYfcS69dLqH9u3iS6LRyG6N11Yuq1lsa-~IH2zwUOC41ZFdgI0nB5jg~3QNtnQWBr3VOS5mBIhfIQvb95a6wnFrYdKSo6fdcpEhbIb7I-syHQ84VbtKLO3WQEeBQb49XIH2jnA-dPZvgSWa22R0EK1~~Wy095IpRmxXC-oek8GD8lcjUd3-3eELRUzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kevin Moore, senior vice president of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority and general manager of the Savannah Convention Center, told a Georgia Senate study committee in Savannah that the center's $276 million expansion is already increasing event volume and economic impact and that a new headquarter hotel will further multiply benefits.

The expansion and next steps

Moore said the expansion, which doubled the convention center's size, opened in April and is beginning to show results: \"In fiscal year 25, we realized over 20% increase in both the number of events and number of event days. We welcomed over 202,000 attendees and ended the year with the bottom line 14 and a half percent better than budget,\" he told the committee.

Moore described the next major project as a 444-room Signia by Hilton hotel, a roughly $398 million development adjacent to the center. He said bond financing for the hotel closed the week of the hearing, ground work has begun, and an official groundbreaking is scheduled for Oct. 8. \"With the 33 month build to me, we're targeting an opening of 2028,\" Moore said.

Economic and employment impacts cited

Moore told the committee the center's fiscal-year-24 activity generated more than $260 million in economic impact, and he said the center's customer-satisfaction rating climbed to 96.1 this past year. Asked about payroll, Moore said the center currently has 138 employees on its payroll, about 50 of them full time, and that employment tied to center activity is broader: \"Our economic impact study calculated there about 3,800 jobs directly tied to events here at the Savannah Convention Center. I think there are roughly 27,000 region wide in hospitality that that generate significant economic impact for the community,\" he said.

Why leaders urged marketing and connectivity

Moore told senators that the expansion alone will not fill the new capacity: \"While doubling the size of the convention center doesn't instantly double the results, it does double our capacity to create impact. And our job now is to grow into that capacity over the coming years.\" He urged investment in headquarters hotel construction, improved pedestrian connectivity and wayfinding on Hutchinson Island, and sustained local and statewide tourism marketing.

Questions from the committee and attendees

Committee members and attendees asked about staffing (Moore provided the payroll figures) and whether the Signia would be the only one in the state (Moore: \"This will be the second in the state of Georgia\"). No formal committee action was taken; the presentation served to inform the study committee's review of how state marketing and product development funding can support newly enlarged facilities.

","Georgia World Congress Center Authority officials told a Senate study committee the $276 million expansion of the Savannah Convention Center has doubled the facility's size, increased event days and attendance, and that a 444-room Signia by Hilton hotel ($398 million) will break ground Oct. 8 with an expected 2028 opening.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6499601,"Tourism leaders push Georgia to sharply increase marketing budget, cite strong ROI",1368,3262000,4630000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5824175-dea951cf586bc00ca3acfb3d6c569170&start=3262&end=4630","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5824175-dea951cf586bc00ca3acfb3d6c569170/thumbnail_3262000.jpg","/articles/6499601/Georgia/Tourism-leaders-push-Georgia-to-sharply-increase-marketing-budget-cite-strong-ROI","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6499601-a2f471b35b3520684c39a779fbcc99b1/orig.mp4?Expires=1775130281&Signature=aJBe49uL4JTN-eypqE2Oltl0gsTN527szwiL526f6DjPTl-SZUdnRzVNueccSiAT-OzGzG7W9i2Y0uqbHXxp4KmfCmuvPgSKQSTTfHpjTMeLbdBbzqIz10TyODL-x~FZQCTCzt9Red~vBfSmxWB0-sIxUEoAGVfk~APAyBgMtYwnnT3H3pIzujnq7DhHcFvJeMCVD51LeJnLK8JdIRrL2CD9drWQM52k8JnCJ5kCGW9BBm4yn8gz-MKn4uN60RXcHUx3HY313qeo0Fq6ePzSWO~FwTbveTc7lu478qcuzXB4Y-utDM2-c-MhDcYsZiOPAa4Fkc81LbCUpeDCzmv5UQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Leaders of Visit Savannah and statewide tourism groups told a Georgia Senate study committee in Savannah on Thursday that the state's tourism marketing budget is far below peer states and should be increased substantially to capture more visitors and tax revenue.

Joe Marinelli, president and CEO of Visit Savannah, said Georgia's current state tourism budget \"is less than $12,000,000 annually,\" and argued that amount is insufficient to run a national campaign or match competitors. \"With the right level of funding, the right long term commitment, and a bold campaign, Georgia can and will be a national leader in tourism,\" Marinelli said.

Why it matters: Tourism leaders told the committee the return on marketing investment (ROI) can be measured quickly, that visitor spending produces immediate sales and hotel-tax revenue, and that increased state marketing could grow jobs and taxable sales across Georgia communities.

Marketing shortfall and the ask

Marinelli and other presenters compared Georgia's budget unfavorably with other states: California at roughly $186 million and Florida around $80 million in annual tourism marketing spend, while Georgia remains in the low tens of millions. Marinelli recommended a multi-year funding plan: \"Let's start with the first year by just simply doubling it and then doubling it again,\" he said, and later urged a five-year goal of tripling commitment.

Michael Owens, president and CEO of the Tourism Leadership Council, told the committee he favors a much larger target for the state brand: \"Where should we be spending? $50,000,000. That's my answer.\" Owens said that budget level would help Georgia regain market share other states have taken.

Evidence and case studies

Presenters cited case studies where marketing campaigns produced measurable returns. Marinelli pointed to Michigan and West Virginia as examples where significant marketing investment produced net tax revenue that, in independent studies, exceeded campaign costs. He said Visit Savannah's 2024 targeted media spend of about $1.3 million generated roughly $519 million in visitor spending, an ROI he summarized as \"$394 for every dollar that we spent.\" The committee heard these figures as evidence that well-targeted marketing can pay for itself.

Debate over funding source: hotel fee and overage

Committee members and witnesses also discussed the existing hotel-motel fee created under House Bill 170 and whether some of the fee's overage should be redirected to statewide marketing. Owens noted that the bill anticipated generating roughly $150 million annually; that revenue has varied, and presenters said the fee produced about $218 million in the most recent year discussed. Owens and others cautioned that relying solely on hotel guests to fund marketing raises equity questions because visitor spending benefits broader sectors beyond lodging. \"Why only tag hotel customers for that? I think it's inequitable,\" Owens said.

Others on the panel said redirecting a portion of the overage to marketing or product development could be a politically viable option. No formal proposal or vote was taken during the hearing; senators said the committee will analyze options and return with recommendations.

What panelists recommended beyond money

Speakers emphasized that funding must be sustained and paired with strategic planning: a nationally recognizable creative campaign, international sales where appropriate, and investment in product development and visitor infrastructure so marketing dollars have attractions to promote.

Next steps

The Senate study committee created by Senate Resolution 323 is collecting testimony through a series of regional meetings. Panelists asked the committee to factor measurable ROI, workforce implications, and regional differences into any funding recommendation. Committee members said they will seek more analysis on potential funding mechanisms and expected state revenue impacts before reporting back to colleagues.

","Tourism officials and industry leaders told a state Senate study committee in Savannah that Georgia's tourism marketing is underfunded and urged a substantial increase in sustained state funding, pointing to case studies and internal ROI calculations showing marketing can quickly generate jobs and tax revenue.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Analysis: urban hubs lead Georgia lodging market while agritourism and distilleries offer rural growth opportunities

UGA, hoteliers and DMOs tell Senate committee Georgia needs major workforce investment in hospitality

Savannah convention center expansion boosting events; 444-room Signia hotel project to begin groundbreaking

Tourism leaders push Georgia to sharply increase marketing budget, cite strong ROI