Tourists bring in a good amount of revenue and save residents tax dollars, accoridng to figures recently released by the Travel Industry of America (TIA). Each household in Rockdale County reportedly paid $232 less in state and local taxes as a result of taxes generated by tourism economic activity.
In the annual study conducted by the TIA for the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Rockdale County ranked 27 out of Georgia's 159 counties in the state in the level of expenditures among tourists.
Locally, tourists spent $109.7 million in Conyers and Rockdale County in fiscal year 2008. The local tourism industry employed 1,300 people with a payroll of $24.07 million and generated $4.08 million in state taxes and another $3.28 million in local city and county taxes.
"Domestic overnight travelers to Conyers spend an average of $109 per day while here and day-trippers spend an average of $50 per day, excluding transportation," said Conyers Convention and Visitors Bureau Tourism Manager Harriet Gattis. "Just having an additional 100 visitors per day in our community can have a significant economic impact even at the local level among taxpayers and the savings they realize through tourism expenditures."
The Georgia Department of Economic Development contracts annually with TIA to provide economic development figures as it relates to the tourism industry in Georgia. Tourism is the state's second leading economic engine.
"It is extremely important that we continue investing in our tourism industry, developing new marketing programs and working to bring more visitors to our community by focusing on our attractions: the Georgia International Horse Park, Olde Town Conyers, the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, the Georgia Veterans Memorial Park and Panola Mountain State Park," said Mayor Randy Mills.
The Conyers Convention and Visitors Bureau actively promotes tourism in Conyers through its new website: http://visit.conyersga.com and affiliations with the Georgia Convention and Visitors Bureau and co-ops such as Georgia's Treasures Along I-20 and Georgia's Historic Heartland region. For more information, contact Harriet Gattis at 770-929-4270.
