Chris Cannon posted on January 24, 2012 17:38
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
GRCVB Contact:
Chris Cannon, Director of Communication
706.295.5576
chris@romegeorgia.org
Website Link:
Attachment:
Luke Chaffin, Chris Cannon and Lisa Smith with Katie Dempsey, District 13 Representative, at the 2012 Tourism and Hospitality Day at the Capital.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tourism day celebrated at Georgia Capital
ATLANTA, GA. — Tourism officials from the Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau (GRCVB) represented Rome and the Northwest Georgia region at Tuesday's Tourism and Hospitality Day at the State Capital.
Lisa Smith, Chris Cannon and Luke Chaffin, all of the GRCVB, attended the event with Governor Nathan Deal and representatives from all corners of the state.
Deal honored the importance of the industry and its impact on the entire state. In the past year, more than 391,000 Georgians were employed in the tourism industry and the state collected $1.2 billion in sales tax from tourism-related expenditures.
"This is our chance to come together as an industry and remind the legislators how important we are to the Georgia economy," said Smith, GRCVB executive director. "We are the second largest industry in Georgia behind agriculture."
Locally, the tourism industry sustained 1,150 jobs in Floyd County and generated an estimated $110 million in direct tourist spending in 2010, according to a report by the United States Travel Association.
Tuesday also doubled as a day of celebration of the arts at the Georgia State Capital. Members of the Zac Brown Band, Lady Antebellum, Jars of Clay, and Chuck Leavell of the Allman Brothers Band and The Rolling Stones assisted in a proclamation on tourism and arts to the Georgia House of Representatives.
Governor Deal also revealed the 2012 Georgia Travel Guide, featuring Grammy Award winning country group Lady Antebellum on its cover. Two members of the group are Columbia County, Ga. natives.
The travel guide features information on Georgia attractions, accommodations and restaurants. They can be ordered for free online at www.ExploreGeorgia.org or picked up at any state, local or regional visitor center.
To learn more about tourism in Rome and Floyd County, visit the Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau's website at www.RomeGeorgia.org.
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The Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau (GRCVB) is the official destination and sports marketing organization of Rome and Floyd County, Georgia. The GRCVB’s mission is to strengthen the economic fabric of the community through tourism development by attracting leisure travelers, conventions, meetings, sports and events