James_May-June_2026_web - Flipbook - Page 11
Success but Challenges
Lake Lanier Islands Resort CEO
Matthew Bowling, while celebrating the successes of his enterprise
and the state’s hospitality industry,
emphasizes that there must be
enough qualified workers for all the
jobs that are created.
In this context, Bowling says,
“We’ve got a great institution
near here called Lanier Technical
College. It recently reached out to
us so that they could continue to invest in hospitality-based programs.”
So consider that Lanier Tech offers
classes that prepare students for
careers in hotel management, wedding planning, travel, restaurant
management and even executive
housekeeping.
By the way, many of the hospitality jobs don’t require four-year
college degrees and hospitality
training is even starting in the later
high school years.
Investment in infrastructure in
high-tourism areas is also crucial.
With the right infrastructure such
as roads, bridges, mass transit and
large capacity buildings, the state
can continue to win major sporting
events such as the Olympics, World
Cup and Super Bowls.
Georgia’s tourism and hospitality industry benefits from the
state’s healthy pro-business economic policies, Bowling added. “It
creates an awesome atmosphere
for hospitality to thrive. The state’s
geography also helps. We have
Atlanta being the economic hub of
the Southeast, you’ve got Savannah with one of the largest ports
in the world,” he says. “On the
northside, you’ve got mountain
ranges. It’s really an interesting
and unique combination. You can
come to Georgia and get all of
that. I think this diversity makes
Georgia an ideal destination for
leisure travel and business travel.”
In addition to a good economic
climate, though, Georgia is blessed
with mild weather, which allows
THE GOLDEN ISLES
tourism to thrive year round. The
challenge for the future is to keep
building on that success.
“I don’t know that we need to
change very much,” Bowling notes.
“I really think we need to continue
on the trajectory we have been on.”
A Little Bit of Everything
When it comes to tourism and
hospitality, Georgia’s strength is the
variety of its assets, says President
and CEO of the Georgia Hotel and
Lodging Association Chris Hardman. “You’ve got the North Georgia
mountains, the Golden Isles, the
music city of Macon, the industrial
town now turned tourism center of
Columbus,” says Hardman.
Also, don’t forget that in Augusta every first week of April, visitors
flock to the nation’s premier golf
tournament— the Masters— at the
famed Augusta National Golf Club.
It’s perhaps the hottest ticket in the
sports world.
The state is also among the
top convention centers in the
United States. “We’ll be tied with
California to be the only states to
have hosted both the World Cup
and the Olympics,” Hardman says.
“We’ve become the sports capital,
not only of the South but of the
world. We’ve proven time and time
again how we can host the largest
sporting events.”
One area of improvement
would be the amount spent on
tourism marketing, with Georgia
ranking at the bottom of states
nationally. Hardman estimates that
surrounding states spend double or
triple the amount on marketing.
Explore Georgia, a marketing
agency for the state, spends $5.8
million each year for advertising
compared to Tennessee, which
spends more than $50 million.
“Right now, Tennessee is going
after all of the major conventions
that we have in Georgia, and all the
major sporting events,” he says.
Consider that the convention
center in Nashville is only 4.5 hours
away from Atlanta.
“Without the ability to compete,
we’re going to lose business to
Tennessee, North Carolina, South
Carolina,” says Hardman. “Even Mississippi and Alabama outspend us.”
Georgia does have a $5 tax on
hotel rooms which generates more
than $200 million annually, with
$150 million earmarked for transportation, not for tourism.
The surplus revenue— over and
above the $150 million for transportation— could be budgeted for hospitality and tourism if the Georgia legislature chose to spend it that way,
says Hardman. Furthermore, a state
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