Comments (0) | |

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

Despite fewer visitors, tourist spending up in Bibb

Faced with fewer visitors in a depressed economy, the Macon-Bibb County Convention & Visitors Bureau highlighted new and expanded destinations to help bolster the sagging tourism industry.

CVB President and CEO Janice Marshall spoke Thursday at the CVB annual meeting about some of the “new tourism products” in the Macon area.

“If there is one thing that this community does not lack is something to see and do,” she said.

Marshall pointed out some of the new or growing sites or events that draw tourists, including:

Ÿ Riverside Cemetery tours;

Ÿ a new exhibit at the Ocmulgee National Monument;

Ÿ the Macon Georgia Film and Video Festival and Fired Works art show;

Ÿ a renovated campground at Lake Tobesofkee;

Ÿ the soon-to-open Big House Museum;

Ÿ the Fly South Barbecue Festival; and

Ÿ new independently owned restaurants.

About 145 people attended the 29th annual meeting Thursday at the new Marriott City Center hotel on Coliseum Drive.

“The primary focus (of the CVB) is to generate revenue and jobs,” past CVB board Chairman Terry Smith said.

Despite the economy’s downturn, the amount of money tourists spent in Bibb County was up by 1 percent and, according to the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Travel Industry of America, the 2008 economic impact of tourism here included:

Ÿ $271 million in total expenditures;

Ÿ 3,270 jobs in tourism industry;

Ÿ $70 million in tourism payroll; and

Ÿ $8 million in local sales tax receipts.

One of the challenges the tourism industry faces has been high gasoline prices, which have cut leisure travel by 10 percent, Smith said.

Also, hotel revenue is down.

“From July this year through September, hotel revenues are down 9.6 percent compared to the same period in 2008,” he said. “But we are in pretty good shape when compared to other urban locations: Charlotte (N.C.) is down 20 percent, Atlanta is down 20 percent and Orlando (Fla.) is down 30 percent.”

Since June 2008, nine hotels have opened, adding more than 900 rooms to the supply here, he said. Three more hotels are planned or are under construction. Those will add about 300 rooms by next year.

Other challenges include a 34-percent decline in tours during fiscal 2008-09, as well as a decrease in corporate support for local attractions, Marshall said. Operation funding remains an issue for the state’s music and sports halls of fame, Marshall said.

A recent hotelier survey by Randall Travel Marketing research team, with 60 percent of the hotels responding, determined who is coming to Macon.

“There were some surprises,” Marshall said.

Individual business travelers, excluding government guests, accounted for 48.5 percent of guests. Nearly 26 percent of guests were blue-collar workers, including a large number who came after the 2008 Mother’s Day tornado.

And while individual leisure travelers are usually about 10 percent of guests, hotels reported 22.5 percent in this category.

The annual meeting also was an opportunity to present two awards to people who have contributed to the tourism industry.

Dorene Buchanan, of the Cannonball House, was the winner of the 2009 B.J. Cain Top of the Line award.

The 2009 Otis Hughes Spirit of Tourism award was presented to downtown Macon developer Tony Long. He is a longtime supporter of the Grand Opera House, was one of the founders of the revived Cox Capitol Theater and was an early supporter for the Macon Georgia Film and Video Festival.

To contact writer Linda S. Morris, call 744-4223.