Atlanta Metro Travel Impact

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1 Atlanta Metro Travel Impact Counties: Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, and Henry What s happening in Atlanta Metro LEGOLAND Discovery Center Atlanta opened in Phipps Plaza in March. This is the third LEGOLAND Discovery Center in the United States. Described as stepping into the biggest box of LEGO bricks in the world, the $15 million, 30,000-square-foot interactive attraction features many of Atlanta s landmark buildings made out of LEGO bricks. Governor Deal officially designated the brand new Gone With the Wind Trail in May The trail offers visitors access to the history and legacy behind the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. It also uncovers the complex life of Margaret Mitchell. The trail travels through three counties from Marietta through Atlanta to Jonesboro. The Maynard H. Jackson International Terminal opened May 16, 2012 at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, cementing Atlanta as the global gateway to the U.S. The project, a $1.4 billion development, adds 12 international gates, creating a 40-gate international air-travel complex. The new terminal services nearly 80 destinations in more than 50 countries, and inbound travelers are connected to more than 150 U.S. cities. In total, the new terminal creates 2,000 jobs. Southern Living returned to Senoia, the site of the 2010 Southern Living Idea House, with its first-ever farm house restoration. With more than 30,000 visitors from June through December, this was Southern Living s most successful Idea House ever. The PGA TOUR s Champions Tour announced that the Greater Gwinnett Championship will be held at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Ga. April 15-21, The course will host the tournament through The Gwinnett Sports Commission, the host entity for the tournament, will operate the 54-hole stroke play tournament with 81 Champions Tour professionals competing for the $1.8 million purse. Atlanta hosted the first annual Travel South International Showcase. More than 2 delegates from 17 countries on six continents attended the inaugural event in November. Southern travel suppliers conducted more than 3,000 business appointments during the three-day conference. Newnan Grantville Buford Alpharetta Sugar Hill Acworth Roswell Suwanee Kennesaw Duluth Dacula Dunwoody Marietta 85 Sandy Norcross Lawrenceville Springs Doraville Powder Smyrna Lilburn Springs Chamblee Loganville Austell 285 Tucker 285 Stone Snellville Mableton Mountain Lithia Scottdale Springs Atlanta Decatur 20 Douglasville Lithonia East Point 20 College Park Hapeville Conley Forest 6 Ellenwood Union City Park Fairburn Morrow Riverdale Stockbridge Palmetto Jonesboro Tyrone 85 McDonough Fayetteville Peachtree City Sharpsburg Moreland Senoia Hampton Locust Grove ExploreGeorgia.org/AtlantaMetro

2 Classic South Travel Impact Counties: Burke, Columbia, Emanuel, Glascock, Greene, Hancock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Lincoln, McDuffie, Oglethorpe, Richmond, Taliaferro, Warren, Washington and Wilkes What s happening in Classic South Lady Antebellum is featured on the cover of Georgia s 2012 State Travel Guide. The featured photo was taken in Charles and Dave s hometown of Columbia County at Evans Towne Center Park before their hometown dedication show this past fall. The Classic South Travel Region was awarded $10,000 in marketing funds by the Georgia Department of Economic Development for placing third in the second Annual Georgia Smackdown Contest at the 2012 Governor s Tourism Conference. The Augusta Convention Center, formerly called the Trade, Exhibit, and Event Center or TEE Center, is now open. Part of the Downtown Augusta Redevelopment Plan - the complex is more than 200,000 square feet with 40,000 square feet of exhibit-hall space. The building design also includes a ballroom, a kitchen, a loading dock and storage space. The Lincoln County Artisans Gallery opened in December Lincoln Artisans, an art and retail space on Main Street, is an initiative of the Lincoln County Development Authority, with the goal of fostering and promoting local and regional artists and craftsmen. The incubator program is designed to accelerate the growth and success of a new business through support and services such as physical space, capital, coaching, and so forth. In September 2012, Augusta hosted 3,400 athletes for the fourth edition of the ESi IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta, and will likely establish a record for the largest IRONMAN 70.3 race. The City of Augusta has a deep pride of their early American history and roots, in addition to its steep heritage in sport thanks to the prestigious annual Masters Golf tournament. More than 2 soccer players, coaches, and NCAA officials, from New York, California, Canada, Florida and parts in-between traveled to Columbia County to compete in the 2012 NCAA Division II Men s and Women s Soccer Championships. The Peach Belt Conference and Columbia County, Georgia co-hosted the championships played at Blanchard Woods Park on 11/29 (semifinals) and 12/1(finals). Crawford Lexington Tignall Washington Lincolnton Philomath Clarks Hill Union Point Greensboro Crawfordville Appling Evans Martinez 20 Thomson Norwood Augusta Oconee Grovetown Warrenton Dearing Harlem 520 Sinclair Sparta Warthen Jewell Mitchell Sandersville Bartow Wrightsville Wrens Swainsboro Waynesboro Louisville Wadley Midville 16 Millen Twin City ExploreGeorgia.org/ClassicSouth

3 Georgia Coast Travel Impact Counties: Brantley, Bryan, Camden, Charleton, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, McIntosh, Pierce and Ware What s happening in the Georgia Coast The Coastal Heritage Society opened Savannah s first children s museum in June Savannah s children s museum s Exploration Station is a 1-acre, two-level, outdoor exhibit area featuring themes such as math, music, literacy, culture, science and art that will engage children s imaginations and provide a whimsical space to learn through play. Georgia Buffalo, Inc. is a family owned and operated bison ranch located on the beautiful southeast coast of Georgia, in the town of Townsend. In addition to their ranch tours, chuck wagon meals and beautiful wedding venues, Georgia Buffalo provides their customers with a healthy selection of high quality, allnatural and hormone free bison. With deluxe accommodations, delicious southern cooking and a bird habitat to rival any in the nation, Dorchester Shooting Preserve is a destination for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages. Expanding in 2012 to feature additional lodging opportunities, Dorchester has become a welcome member of the Coastal Georgia tourism family. The Savannah Stopover has proven itself as one of the South s up-and-coming music festivals with a phenomenal lineup, exciting new attractions and venues. Stopover capitalizes on the logistical good fortune of Savannah, Georgia s proximity to interstates 95 and 10 by presenting traveling musicians with a welcoming place to play en route to Austin s annual SXSW Music Festival. A collaborative effort of MusicFile Productions and countless volunteers, partners, vendors, and media sponsors, the Savannah Stopover showcases more than 100 bands in multiple venues across Savannah s walkable Historic District. The 2013 event is March 7 9. Waycross Homerville Fargo Patterson Blackshear Hoboken Waynesville Folkston Nahunta Woodbine 95 Springfield Guyton Rincon Black Creek Pembroke 16 Garden City Ellabelle Pooler Thunderbolt Savannah Richmond Hill Tybee Flemington Hinesville 95 Midway Sunbury Riceboro Townsend Eulonia Meridian St. Marys Darien Brunswick Kingsland Shellman Bluff Sea St. Simons Jekyll Kings Bay Cumberland Port Wentworth Blackbeard Sapelo Little St. Simons St. George ExploreGeorgia.org/TheGeorgiaCoast

4 Historic High Country Travel Impact Counties: Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Dade, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Walker and Whitfield What s happening in Historic High Country Gibbs Gardens in Ballground opened to showcase more than 220 acres of 16 world-class gardens as highlighted on the cover of Southern Living Magazine and detailed in the feature story inside. Historic Banning Mills near Carrollton joined the ranks of world record holders, not once but twice, and verified by Guinness World Records, with their tallest artificial climbing wall at 139ft, and largest and longest zip line canopy tour (course) in the world touting almost 9 miles of zip lines and bridges. Cartecay Vineyards opened in Ellijay featuring their signature chimney patio where visitors relax with wine and friends to the sounds of live music and adding to the attractions along Apple Alley. West Georgia Textile Heritage Trail installed the first interpretive signs in Carrollton as a result of GDEcD s Tourism Product Development grant funds, setting the standard for continuing trail development from LaGrange to Dalton. Winnepesaukah in Rossville announced the expansion of a new water park SoakYa scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend 2013, adding jobs and bringing more visitors to this 3rd largest familyowned amusement park in the nation. Point in Emerson held its formal groundbreaking for the $1 billion, 1,200-acre sports complex that is expected to eventually bring 26,000 jobs for both the on-site complex and surrounding hotels and restaurants when it opens in Lookout Rossville Mountain Cohutta McCaysville Wildwood Ft. Oglethorpe Mineral Trenton Ringgold Crandall Bluff Morganton Chickamauga Tunnel Hill Blue Ridge 59 Rock Spring Blue Ridge Rising Chatsworth Fawn Dalton Cherry Log Ellijay LaFayette Carters East Ellijay Sugar Resaca Trion Valley Oakman Talking Cloudland Rock Big Canoe Calhoun Summerville Jasper Fairmount Tate Adairsville Waleska Nelson White Ball Rome Kingston 5 Ground Cassville Cartersville Canton AllatoonaWoodstock Cave Spring Rockmart Cedartown Dallas Buchanan Tallapoosa 20 Villa BremenRica Waco Carrollton Hiram Whitesburg ExploreGeorgia.org/HistoricHighCountry

5 Historic Heartland Travel Impact Counties: Baldwin, Bibb, Butts, Clarke, Crawford, Houston, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Monroe, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Peach, Putnam, Rockdale, Twiggs, Walton and Wilkinson What s happening in Historic Heartland In 2012, the Athens Classic Center moved forward on a $24 million facility expansion that will increase capacity to 6,000 individuals, add 55,000 square feet of exhibit space and create a 10,000-square-foot atrium. Expansion will enable Athens to bid for larger conference circuits to create a greater economic impact for the local community. The expansion is scheduled for completion in February Covington and Newton County unveiled the brand new Covington Walk of Stars featuring 40 pavers showcasing the names of films and stars that have shot on location in Newton County. Covington s rich film and entertainment history brings tourists from around the world to the community. The Museum of Arts & Sciences Mark Smith Planetarium in Macon completed a renovation making its leading edge digital system the first installation in Georgia and only the third in the Americas. Home to more than 400,000 visitors per year, the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins received the U.S. Air Force Heritage Award for its exhibit on the Tuskegee Airmen, the all-black flying unit in World War II, featuring a BT-13 aircraft, a mural of the airfield in Alabama where they trained and video interviews with WWII pilots. The Museum also completed the restoration of two Vietnam-era aircraft - an F-105D Fighter and a B-52 bomber. Perry, Georgia welcomed more than 445,000 attendees to the 23rd Georgia National Fair in It was the second best year in the history of the fair. Perry also acted as host of the traveling Smithsonian exhibit called New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music from September 8 through - October 20. The exhibit attracted more than 6,000 people from 78 Georgia cities and 23 states. Watkinsville Loganville Monroe Bishop Social Conyers Circle Oxford Covington Rutledge Mansfield Perry Athens Winterville Madison 20 Buckhead Oconee Jackson Eatonton Flovilla Monticello High Indian Springs Sinclair Falls Milner Round Milledgeville Juliette Oak Forsyth Haddock Barnesville Gray Smarr Clinton Bolingbroke Culloden 4 Gordon Macon Musella Lizella Knoxville Roberta Byron 16 Warner Fort Robins Valley ExploreGeorgia.org/HistoricHeartland

6 Magnolia Midlands Travel Impact Counties: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Bleckley, Bulloch, Candler, Coffee, Dodge, Evans, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Laurens, Long, Montgomery, Pulaski, Screven, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Wayne, Wheeler and Wilcox What s happening in Magnolia Midlands Statesboro and Vidalia hosted the state s 2012 Georgia Travel Media Marketplace event May Twenty-six travel writers had the opportunity to discover new, fresh and unique story ideas in both of these Magnolia Midlands communities. This event gave the region tremendous exposure and invaluable publicity. Watermelon Creek Winery opened in Glennville adding to the region s tourism product and agritourism experiences. Vidalia hosted their first annual Golden Onion Competition where 12 chefs from across Georgia competed in the culinary competition using their own signature Vidalia Onion recipes. Covering more than 220 miles, Peaches to the Beaches Annual Antique and Yard Sale along Highway 341 had its biggest year ever. Jesup hosted its first annual Hog Jam to celebrate their hog hunting plantations. This first year proved to be very successful bringing in hunters (and dollars) from all across Georgia and contiguous states. Hawkinsville began an organized effort to promote their agritourism assets and are working closely with various state agencies to maximize their resources at a local level. 3 new communities joined the camera ready program in The Georgia Film, Music & Digital Entertainment Office launched the Camera Ready Communities program in 2010 to train and certify Georgia counties to work effectively with production companies and provide local, one-on-one assistance in every aspect of production, from location scouting and film permits to traffic control, catering and lodging. Cochran Roddy Hawkinsville Eastman Chauncey Rochelle Irwinville Dublin Douglas East Dublin 16 Soperton Mount Vernon Vidalia McRae Reidsville Alston Lumber City Uvalda Jacksonville Nicholls Willacoochee Ailey Hazlehurst Alma Metter Pulaski Cobbtown 16 Lyons Claxton Baxley Statesboro Glennville Odum Screven Portal Sylvania Register Ludowici Jesup ExploreGeorgia.org/MagnoliaMidlands

7 Northeast Georgia Mountains Travel Impact Counties: Banks, Barrow, Dawson, Elbert, Forsyth, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union and White What s happening in Northeast Georgia Mountains Unveiled in Downtown Dahlonega s Hancock Park, the Chestatee Diving Bell is a colorful and strange reminder of Dahlonega s gold rush history, but scholars say it is even more important in the history of diving technology and American ingenuity. The Dawsonville Moonshine Distillery & Museum opened to much media fanfare, being the first and only distillery to be located inside a city hall. Since opening during the annual Dawsonville Moonshine Festival, visitors from all over the country and the world have met Backwoods Distiller Dwight Punch Bearden, toured the facility, and tasted real moonshine. Georgia s Appalachian Poet/Novelist, Byron Herbert Reece s life and legacy can now be shared with visitors of all ages at the Byron Herbert Reece Farm & Heritage Center in Blairsville. Recently inducted into the Southern Literary Trail, the farm, museum and gift shop tell the story of how nature and farming inspired a mountain man to write great poetry and novels. Hightower Creek Vineyards, a family farm winery opened up in Hiawassee to a stream of wine enthusiasts looking for a beautiful setting, fun music and delicious tastings of their six wine labels, all served with a smile! Since opening, visitors have been busy buying their wine by the glass, by the bottle and by the case. Three years ago there wasn t a zip line/canopy tour in Northeast Georgia, with the opening of Zip N Time Canopy Tours in Helen, there are now six companies offering thousands of visitors a wide variety of tours through the trees as well as over creeks, ponds and even through a cave! Hiawassee Dillard Sky Rabun Gap Valley Young Mountain City Blairsville Harris Tiger Clayton Wiley mont Suches Helen Tallulah Falls Sautee Toccoa Cleveland Falls Clarkesville Dahlonega Toccoa Demorest Eastanollee Cornelia Dawsonville Clermont Mount Martin Hartwell Alto Airy Marble Lavonia Lula Hill Lanier Homer Gillsville Hartwell Gainesville Carnesville Royston Flowery Oakwood Maysville Franklin Branch985 Commerce Springs Bowman Cumming Braselton Lanier Danielsville Elberton s Jefferson Colbert Comer Winder 85 Russell Clarks Hill ExploreGeorgia.org/NortheastGeorgiaMountains

8 Plantation Trace Travel Impact Counties: Baker, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Calhoun, Clay, Clinch, Colquitt, Cook, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Echols, Grady, Lanier, Lee, Lowndes, Miller, Mitchell, Quitman, Randolph, Seminole, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Turner, and Worth What s happening in Plantation Trace The Georgia Grown Trail: Highway 37 was created to promote agritourism. They represent a partnership between GDEcD and the Department of Agriculture. Activities include hosting nine media on a Travel Media Marketplace post media tour in May Results of this media visit include six print articles and a TV spot. In addition, the Trail will be officially recognized by the legislature in an invite resolution and they are working on a series of seasonal events to promote Georgia Agritourism. The Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau launched the Visit Albany app in November promoting four walking/driving tours including the Paula Deen Hometown Tour, Sherwood Movie Tour, African American Heritage Tour, and Historic Cemetery Tour. By the end of January 2013, Randolph County will have launched a dozen new geocaching locations focusing on areas related to agribusiness and historical sites. Seminole was named as one of the 100 Best Bass Fishing s in the Country by Bassmaster Magazine. 14 new communities joined the camera ready program in The Georgia Film, Music & Digital Entertainment Office launched the Camera Ready Communities program in 2010 to train and certify Georgia counties to work effectively with production companies and provide local, one-on-one assistance in every aspect of production, from location scouting and film permits to traffic control, catering and lodging. Camera Ready communities Terrell and Dougherty were selected as filming locations for Disney s feature film The Odd Life of Timothy Green starring Jennifer Garner. Tift County has two new hotels and five new restaurants under construction. Georgetown Parrott Morris Walter F. George Cuthbert Fort Gaines Arlington Blakely Colquitt Donalsonville Bainbridge Seminole Dawson Sasser Albany Newton Pelham Cairo Leesburg Ashburn Sylvester Doerun Norman Park Camilla Ochlocknee Moultrie Thomasville Rebecca Tifton Lenox Quitman Nashville Adel Cecil Fitzgerald Hahira land Remerton Valdosta Park ExploreGeorgia.org/PlantationTrace

9 Presidential Pathways Travel Impact Counties: Chattahoochee, Crisp, Dooly, Harris, Heard, Macon, Marion, Meriwether, Muscogee, Pike, Schley, Spalding, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, Troup, Upson and Webster What s happening in Presidential Pathways On November 30, 2012, the Richland Distilling Company released their first batch of Richland Rum. Richland Rum is handcrafted locally in historic downtown Richland, Georgia, with all natural ingredients. Richland Rum is now available in select retail stores, bars and restaurants across the state. You can also sample it at the Distillery located in downtown Richland! The longest urban whitewater rush in the world will officially open in Columbus, Georgia on the Chattahoochee River in summer 2013 (although many are taking advantage of what is available now). The river restoration is just one of more than 46 attractions, hundreds of events, unique dining experiences, and a thriving entertainment district in Columbus just minutes from the whitewater course. All 19 counties Presidential Pathways counties are now certified Camera Ready. The Georgia Film, Music & Digital Entertainment Office launched the Camera Ready Communities program in 2010 to train and certify Georgia counties to work effectively with production companies and provide local, one-on-one assistance in every aspect of production, from location scouting and film permits to traffic control, catering and lodging. The Presidential Pathways Travel Association unveiled their new Visitor Guide/Map in They printed,000 copies. The Rock Ranch hosted SERAC (SouthEast Region Agritourism Council) with attendees spanning beyond the southeast. After a successful meeting of Agritourism Service Providers, requests from states across the country to join and contribute have poured in including OK, CA, CO, DE, KS, ME, MD, MI, MN, NM, OR, TX, WA and WI. Construction is almost complete on the Biblical Life Artifacts Gallery that will play host to an exhibit of more than 1,000 ancient artifacts from Israel at the Explorations in Antiquity Center in LaGrange. This gallery will be one of only twenty museums in the world qualified to house such exhibits and the only one in the southeast. Franklin Hogansville 85 Gay West Point Greenville LaGrange West Point Pine Mountain 185 Warm Springs Woodbury Hamilton Columbus Thomaston Manchester Talbotton Fortson Midland Griffin Zebulon Woodland Molena The Rock Yatesville Reynolds Buena Oglethorpe Vista Montezuma Cusseta Ellaville Unadilla Louvale Andersonville Omaha Richland Vienna Preston Americus Walter F. Lumpkin Archery Plains George Cordele Weston Leslie Blackshear Arabi ExploreGeorgia.org/PresidentialPathways