Governor Kemp: Georgia Breaks Tourism Records for Second Straight Year

ATLANTA – September 17, 2024 – Governor Brian P. Kemp today joined the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) in announcing that the state broke tourism records for the second year in a row and maintained its No. 5 market share ranking among all 50 states and Washington, D.C., for the fourth consecutive year.

Speaking at the annual Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference, Governor Kemp shared that the state welcomed 5 million more visitors last year than in 2022, reaching a new high of 171 million domestic and international visitors. These travelers spent $43.6 billion on Georgia’s hotels, restaurants, transportation, and other local businesses, eclipsing the previous record set in 2022 by nearly $4 billion.

“Georgia continues to grow as a top destination for travelers and businesses alike,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “We’ve seen unprecedented visitation across all regions of the Peach State over the last couple years, a testament to the unique attractions, natural resources, and cultural institutions that make Georgia such a desirable place to visit. We're grateful for all our tourism partners statewide who support jobs in communities in all four corners of Georgia.”

In total during 2023, Georgia travel and tourism generated a $79.7 billion statewide economic impact and supported more than 463,400 jobs, an increase of more than 20,000 jobs over the prior year. The tourism industry also generated a record $5 billion in state and local tax revenues, a $300 million or 7.2% increase over the previous record set in 2022.

“Tourism is one of Georgia’s largest economic contributors, supporting jobs and generating tax revenues that benefit local communities from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Golden Isles,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “These numbers are the latest confirmation that our partnership approach to economic development across all industries – including tourism – is putting Georgia on travelers’ minds like never before. I’m proud of our tourism industry’s commitment to excellence and innovative strategies that drive economic benefits to every corner of the state.”

Presented by Explore Georgia, GDEcD’s tourism office, the three-day Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference is the premier annual event for the state’s travel and hospitality industry. Drawing 400 attendees from across the state each year, the conference serves to inspire excellence and elevate the state’s tourism efforts to raise national and international awareness of Georgia as a business and leisure destination, with diverse landscapes and experiences that span county lines and industries, from arts and film to sports and agriculture.

“Georgia’s tourism economy has never been stronger!” said GDEcD Chief Marketing Officer Mark Jaronski. “Thanks to the leadership of Governor Kemp, our General Assembly, Commissioner Wilson, Tourism Foundation Board of Directors, statewide tourism team led by Director Jay Markwalter, and the collective efforts of the entire industry, Georgia is seeing record visitation, a double-digit increase in visitor spending, and a total economic impact equivalent to hosting the largest sporting event in history - the 2026 FIFA World Cup - 160 times in one year.”

This year’s conference was held at the Georgia World Congress Center’s (GWCC) new signature hotel, the Signia by Hilton Atlanta, to showcase first-hand one of the state’s premier convention destinations. The "meetings and conventions segment" of travel that include events like those held at the GWCC complex generates billions of dollars annually in direct visitor spending and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs across the state. In 2023, 16.4 million business-related travelers to Georgia drove $4.3 billion in spending, marking an increase of nearly 10 million business-related travelers and more than $1 billion in spending compared to 2022.

For more information about Georgia’s tourism industry, visit ExploreGeorgia.org.

Media Images
Images from the conference and an infographic of tourism numbers are located here.

About GDEcD
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 destination for arts and location for film and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. Visit Georgia.org for more information

Garrison Douglas - Press Secretary
Office of Governor Brian P. Kemp
garrison.douglas@georgia.gov

Carter Chapman - Deputy Press Secretary
Office of Governor Brian P. Kemp
carter.chapman@georgia.gov

Jessica Atwell - Communications Manager
Georgia Department of Economic Development
JAtwell@Georgia.org