The Liberty County Convention and Visitors Bureau has said tourism created 566 jobs and generated $105 million spent in the county in 2014.
The bureau recently released its tourism statistics for that fiscal year.
Bureau CEO Leah Poole said the annual report showed an increase of approximately $20 million since 2009. The spending generated $3.9 million in state tax revenues and $3.3 million in local tax revenues.
"The increase in visitor spending is a testament to the marketing and creative efforts of the LCCVB,” Poole said. “Sometimes it’s hard to explain what we do to promote tourism outside of Liberty County, but this data gives us information that more and more people are visiting our area and realizing all we have to offer.”
Poole and program manager Amanda Scott attended Tourism, Hospitality and Arts Day at the Capitol on Jan. 26, where the tax expenditure information for each county in Georgia was distributed. A check for $3 billion was presented to Gov. Nathan Deal on behalf of the tourism industry, representing the state and local tax expenditures generated by visitors. Tourism represents more than 426,000 jobs and $57.1 billion in travel spending.
The Capitol was packed with tourism and hospitality professionals from all over Georgia.
In addition to receiving the check, Deal also unveiled the cover of official 2016 Georgia Travel Guide, titled “Year of Georgia Music.” The guide highlights Georgia’s music heritage, with country music singer Luke Bryan on the front and other musicians and venues inside.
“We’re excited about this being the Year of Georgia Music,” Poole said, “This will be a great tie-in to our annual Blues, Brews and BBQ Festival scheduled for Sept. 24. We’ll be able to showcase our local talent and hopefully help get them noticed on a larger platform.”
Poole also serves as chairwoman of the Hinesville Area Arts Council, which sponsors the festival.
Find out more about tourism in Georgia at www.exploregeorgia.org or www.marketgeorgia.org and find more information about Georgia’s Year in Music by visiting www.georgiamusic.org.
Visit the LCCVB online at www.libertycounty.org or find it on social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Periscope as LibertyCVB or on YouTube as Liberty County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Call 912-368-3580 or email tourism@libertycoun ty.org for more information about tourism and hospitality in Liberty County.