James May-June 2025 web - Flipbook - Page 13
the mouth of the Savannah River, it is
consistently rated as one of the most
attractive tourist destinations in the
U.S. as visitors from around the world
come to walk its cobblestone streets,
manicured parks and historic oak
tree-lined squares. Its nickname, “The
Hostess City of the South,” is an ode to
its famous Southern hospitality, and its
hospitality industry today is booming.
The city hosted more than 10
million overnight visitors in 2023, and
visitor spending rose to a record $4.7
billion for the year. Hospitality constitutes a huge part of Savannah’s economy, anchoring nearly 28,000 jobs and
supporting its rich culinary scene. And
while warm weather and white sand
are a hit in any league, Savannah’s
historic and cultural significance set it
apart from peer coastal cities up and
down the Eastern Seaboard.
While leisure travel comprises
nearly 90 percent of visits to the
Hostess City of the South, Savannah
is emerging as an enticing option for
business travel and conventions. In
February the Savannah Convention
Center (SCC) completed its ambitious
$270 million expansion project that
doubled its exhibit hall space, introduced a 40,000 square foot ballroom
and added a 900-space parking garage. SCC now sits as the 53rd-largest
convention center in America, giving it
enough space to attract larger conventions and trade shows and add even
bigger events to its already-stacked
hospitality calendar.
Rome, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Then there’s Mountain Country
When you think of North Georgia
one word comes to mind: mountains.
They define the cities and towns scattered across the northern reaches of
the state, drawing millions of visitors
to the foothills of the Appalachians
each year. Ancient peaks and valleys
offer a cool retreat during the scorching summer months and somehow become even more beautiful when they
burst into reds and oranges in the fall.
Their temperate climate even provides
some of the best wine growing conditions anywhere in the Southeast, so
it’s no surprise that our annual Sippin’
Local feature is dominated by wineries
nestled amongst the mountain towns.
One of those cities is Rome, the
largest city in northwest Georgia
and magnet for tourists drawn to the
mountains in one of the most picturesque reaches of the state. Kristi Kent
with Rome’s Office of Tourism tells
James just how important the industry
is to the region’s economy:
“Last year tourism directly supported 1,541 local jobs, generating a
labor income of $39.6 million, which
represents 2.5 percent of all jobs
sustained by visitor spending in Rome
& Floyd County. Visitors contributed
$12.1 million in combined state and
local taxes. The City of Rome’s strong
economy benefits areas surrounding
Floyd County, as 25 percent of people
traveling to Rome for employment do
not live in Floyd County.”
Hiking and camping are always a
main draw, whether that’s exploring
the world’s largest contiguous college
campus at Berry College or walking
the AdventHealth ECO Greenway,
Rome’s version of the Atlanta Beltline.
But visitors also flock to the city’s
vibrant, historic downtown that is one
of the great revitalization stories in
the state. Kent explains how city officials have worked with the business
community to make downtown Rome
accessible, attractive and vibrant.
“The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) continues to work with
business owners to offer grants and
low-cost loans for building improvements,” she says. “And the authority
promotes the district through events
that are free to the public and sponsored by the local business and property owners. The events attract crowds
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