2/7/19
Image: Jerry Brown, Gov. Kemp, Senator Steve Gooch, Mayor of Helen Cinnamon Spurlock, County Economic Development Director John Sell, Terri Sims Cool River Tubing, County Manager Mike Melton, Catherine Cleiman Helendorf River Inn and County Commission Chair Travis Turner attend the unveiling of the 2019 Georgia Travel Guide.
(Helen)- The City of Helen and White County have been placed front stage as far as tourism in the state is concerned with the unveiling of 2019 Explore Georgia Travel Guide, which features tubing down the Chattahoochee River in Helen. Local government and tourism officials were joined by Governor Brian Kemp in unveiling the new publication in Atlanta Tuesday during the annual Tourism, Hospitality & Arts Day at the Capitol.
“Georgia’s tourism industry continues to break visitation and impact records, helping to boost our economy and sustain more than 460,000 jobs for hardworking Georgians,” said Governor Kemp.
The 190-plus page travel guide provides visitors with detailed information on Georgia’s tourism assets, including trip ideas, attractions, accommodations, and events.
Alpine Helen-White County Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Executive Director, Jerry Brown, “We are thrilled to be featured on the cover of the Georgia Travel Guide and grateful to Atlanta Magazine Custom Media for a beautiful publication. Details inside the guide direct potential visitors to more information about not only Alpine Helen-White County, but the entire region, creating a positive impact for all of the North Georgia Mountains.”
“The Explore Georgia Travel Guide is a key marketing tool designed to inspire visitors and assist them with planning a memorable Georgia vacation,” said Kevin Langston, deputy commissioner for tourism at the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). Within the pages of the guide, readers will find inspiring feature stories that take them through the history of civil rights on Georgia’s Footsteps of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Trail, offer a glimpse into Georgia’s past and natural treasures at one of Georgia’s 63 State Parks and Historic Sites and entice travelers to take the road less traveled on epic road trips, like Georgia Grown Trail 37.
The guides are available for free at one of the state’s 11 visitor information centers, travel, and trade shows, ExploreGeorgia.org, and 1-800-VISIT GA. The state’s tourism industry generated a record-breaking $63.1 billion in economic impact in 2017, for an increase of 3.8 percent over last year, according to the U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics. Leaders in the industry presented Governor Kemp with a check representing the $3.2 billion in state and local tax revenue generated by tourism-related expenditures in 2017.
