Georgia’s Rome celebrates National Tourism Week with trivia and tours

Rome, GA        

The Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau is celebrating National Tourism Week with activities to highlight Rome history and bring awareness to the local travel industry. Rome joins hundreds of cities, states and hospitality businesses nationwide in recognition of the 27^th Annual National Tourism Week scheduled for May 8–16.

Designated by Congress and established by presidential proclamation in 1983, the event celebrates the value and scope of the nation’s $740 billion travel and tourism industry and the contributions it brings to our community.

“Tourism is a huge part of the Rome community; meetings, sports tournaments, community events and visits to our attractions create a major impact on our local economy,” said Chris Cannon, Director of Communication at the Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau.

In 2009, the CVB worked with meeting planners, tournament directors and event coordinators generating over $10.5 million in our community. This week celebrates visitors to Rome, the workforce serving the visitors, and the development created as a result.

The Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau is seeking to increase community awareness of local history and heritage. On Monday– Friday (May 10 - 14), the CVB will host a local history trivia contest. Each day a new trivia question will be posted on www.romegeorgia.org and distributed to local media. All participants, whether correct or incorrect, will receive a copy of the Georgia’s Rome Coupon Book with approximately $100 of savings from local restaurants, shops and sporting events. One respondent who correctly answers at least one of the trivia questions will be randomly chosen to receive a Georgia’s Rome gift basket of Georgia Made – Georgia Grown gifts and Rome souvenirs.

In recognition of National Tourism Week, the Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau will host “Be a Tourist in Your Hometown” on Saturday, May 15 at 1:00pm and 2:30pm. These tours, led by local history aficionado Anne Culpepper, will allow visitors and residents alike to experience the beauty and history of Rome from the Toonerville Trolley. Each tour lasts approximately 1 ½ hours and departs from the Visitor Center located on Civic Center Hill. There is no charge for tours, however seating is limited and will be on a first-come first-serve basis. Attendees may call the Visitor Center at 706-295-5576 to reserve seats.

The Last Stop Gift Shop, located in the Visitor Center, is hosting an Open House and sale on Saturday, May 15 with 20% off all purchases, excluding clearance and consignment items. The Visitor Center will provide a free postcard to all visitors to send to their family and friends to share their visit in Georgia’s Rome. The Visitor Center is open six days a week, Monday-Friday, 9:30am-5:30pm, and Saturday 9:00am-4:00pm.

In addition to these events, the local museums will be celebrating International Museum Day by offering free admission. Oak Hill and the Martha Berry Museum will celebrate on Saturday, May 15^th, Rome Area History Museum on Tuesday, May 18^th, and Chieftains Museum on Wednesday, May 19^th.

For more information about National Tourism Week contact the Rome Visitor Center at 706-295-5576.