2012 Tourism & Entertainment Policy Statement

Click HERE for a printable PDF of the 2012 Georgia Chamber Tourism & Entertainment Policy Statement.

Tourism Marketing -- Tourism is one of the largest industries in Georgia, and the state has the No. 8 tourism economy in the country, with an annual impact of $45 billion in total investment, $13.7 billion in wages and $5.6 billion in tax revenue. Yet every Southeastern state that directly competes with Georgia invests 40% to 400% more than Georgia in state-funded advertising and promotion.Studies project that additional investment in Georgia tourism could generate up to $1 billion in additional revenue for Georgia and maintain/grow the state’s competitive position.

The Georgia Chamber of Commerce supports:

• an effective public-private partnership dedicated to the development and advocacy of Georgia tourism;
• creation of an incremental, dedicated funding mechanism to support the advertisement, marketing and promotion of Georgia as a tourist destination; and
• development of a uniform and unambiguous hotel/motel tax code to ensure appropriate funding of tourism promotion in local communities.

Tourism Development -- Tourism projects provide immediate, positive returns for residents, businesses, and governments via new jobs, increased sales, additional tax revenue and higher quality of life. Tourism has also been identified by state leaders as a strategic industry for Georgia’s economic growth. Yet Georgia risks losing ground to competing states that have established dedicated incentives for developing/sustaining tourism projects.

The Georgia Chamber of Commerce supports:

• adoption of incentives such as a partial sales tax refund on qualified tourism projects to stimulate private investment in major tourism assets, including hotels, convention/meeting facilities, and tourist attractions;
• incentives such as the income tax credit to stimulate private investment in film, television, video, animation, visual effects, music, gaming and interactive productions, projects, facilities and personnel; and
• authorization of local funding mechanisms such as a fractional penny sales tax to support museums, zoos, aquariums, gardens, parks, centers for the visual or performing arts, and other cultural institutions