Tourism is one of the biggest industries in Georgia, and the rest of Coastal Georgia is looking for ways to tap into the surging revenue stream.

The Liberty County Chamber of Commerce hosted a Progress Through People luncheon on modern tourism in the Coastal Georgia region.

“In many areas, it is the lifeblood,” said state Rep. Al Williams (D-Midway), who is a member of the state House Economic Development and Tourism Committee.

Williams was recently in Ellijay for a meeting. The town, about 100 miles north of Atlanta, is at the gateway to the mountains. On most days, its population is 11,000 people. But it is also a strong tourist attraction and draws nearly 200,000 visitors a year, Williams said.

“Tourism is everything,” he said. “Look at Savannah. I remember when it was almost a ghost town. Downtown was blighted. Thank God for Forrest Gump.”

Tourism professionals said much of their advertising is not directed at the locals, who are already here, but at potential visitors. The bulk of the Liberty Convention and Visitors Bureau’s advertising is geared toward markets in Charleston, S.C., Jacksonville, and Savannah, the CVB’s Emma Faircloth pointed out.

“What we do in a nutshell is share our love of Liberty County so that others will want to come visit,” she said.

Tourism is big business across the state, and Georgia is the fifth-most visited state in the nation, Sarah Anne Rhodes of Explore Georgia said. The state had 167.5 million visitors in 2022, with almost $40 billion in spending.

“That is a gigantic number,” Rhodes said.

It also led to about $73 billion in indirect impacts, and the hospitality industry in the state accounts for nearly 500,000 jobs, which is up by 20,000 over the previous year.

Williams pointed out the hotel-motel tax, which can only be used to promote tourism and tourism products, has strict rules placed upon its usage. Georgia also lags behind its neighbors and competitors in marketing its attractions.

“When you really look at it and compare the money, we don’t even approach where we should be in money for tourism and marketing,” he said. “Atlanta is a self-driven engine. Only marketing will change that and our marketing budget is anemic compared to other states.”

The national average for tourism advertising spending is $13 million, and Rhodes acknowledged the state is below that mark.

Getting your own residents to know about local attractions is key too, Kat Hoyt, president and CEO of the Darien-McIntosh County Chamber of Commerce noted. Fort King George is one of the oldest fortifications in the U.S. but even many McIntosh residents know little about it, she said.

“I am a big fan of being a tourist in your own hometown,” she said. “Family travel is one of the biggest travel expenditures in Georgia. If you don’t know it’s there, how do you share your message?”

Hoyt encouraged local residents to visit their own attractions and eat in local restaurants. She said when she worked in Hinesville, she often brought her lunch to enjoy it at Bryant Commons.

“Be passionate about your own hometown,” she said.

There is also a balance to strike between catering to tourists and the local residents and businesses, Hoyt added.

“Your residents are treasured,” she said. “Your business owners are the ones providing the service. Sometimes tourists are viewed as a nuisance. But they are a treasure in themselves. It’s definitely a tricky balance. Share that joy with tourists, and you will see a change in your visitors. They treat your town better. They treat your facilities better.”

For some business owners, tourism helps keep them afloat. The annual Blessing of the Fleet brings in $1 million a year for that weekend, Hoyt said.

“Without that, a lot of them wouldn’t survive,” she said.

Williams also defended the film tax credit that has led to Georgia becoming an East Coast haven for television and film production. Film tourism — such as visiting the locations in “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” and the bench where Tom Hanks sat as Forrest Gump in Savannah — brings in big bucks.

“Film is an incredible opportunity,” Rhodes said.

The film industry has a $4.4 billion impact in direct spending in the state, according to the state Department of Economic Development.

“We will kiss $4 billion goodbye if we mess with that tax credit,” Williams said. “It’s been one of the best things since sliced bread in Georgia.”

As a warning tale, he recalled what happened to Louisiana when that state restructured its film tax credit.

“They just need to read the Louisiana story,” Williams said. “And in less than 30 days there was nobody left in the film industry.”

Liberty County has been home to several movie locations, including the upcoming The Color Purple musical. Alice Walker, who wrote the novel “The Color Purple,” once spent her summer at Dorchester Academy, Williams pointed out.

“Alice Walker spent an entire summer here, way before the world knew she was Alice Walker,” he said. “We have so many interesting places here, starting on the coast. We are our biggest cheerleaders but we could use a little help. This is a well-kept secret.

“There are so many things that happen here that people just don’t know.”

Dorchester Academy also is one of 11 Georgia stops on the U.S. Civil Rights Tour and just one of two outside of Atlanta.

Williams said the forthcoming Ralph Quarterman statue at the Historic Liberty County Courthouse also will be a draw for visitors.

“It will be the first statue of an African American on a courthouse square in the South, and there will come to see that,” he said.