From Merriam-Webster online dictionary: “Tourism is defined as the promotion or encouragement of touring.”

Tourism in Albany is a thriving industry. From business travelers to leisure travelers to meeting planners, tourists in Albany are saving local taxpayers money. The Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau is full steam ahead in ensuring “heads in beds” continues to thrive.

With a new Tourism Destination Assessment, performed by Randall Travel Marketing, the Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau spent 2016 revamping and testing a new brand. We updated our logo and redesigned our marketing materials and website. 

“Where History and Nature Flow” has been our positioning statement since 2005. It encompasses everything about Albany, a place full of rich history, surrounded by natural resources, and the flow of the Flint River. The look and feel of the new branding is fresh, colorful and vibrant. Our new marketing pieces highlight the river, our attractions and our natural resources.

The Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau is funded 100 percent by the hotel/motel tax collected by the city. Of the almost $1 million collected in hotel/motel taxes, the CVB receives $725,000 for the use of promoting and marketing the city as a tourism destination. The more heads in beds we generate, the greater the tax relief for our citizens.

In 2015, Dougherty County generated more than $233 million in direct travel spending. This amount of spending translates to the support of 2,134 jobs and the generation of $7 million in local tax revenues. As a further breakdown, the average Dougherty County household receives $463 in tax relief attributable to tourist dollars.

The CVB’s headquarters at the Albany Welcome Center is the only Georgia Regional Information Center in the Plantation Trace Region. Every day, the Welcome Center receives dozens of visitors coming through the doors. Some would think it peaks during the summer, but because of our location and consistent climate, we are the ideal travel destination year-round. In 2016, the Welcome Center recorded 18,839 visitors in our sign-in book.

Tourists come to our community in many different ways: from motorcoach gatherings to sporting events to conventions and meetings. In addition, the Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau is here to welcome, direct and show the Southern hospitality we are known for.

Motorcoaches are attracted to our Paula Deen, Sherwood Pictures, historic, agritourism and culinary tours. Each tour is specifically designed to meet the needs of the motorcoach operators. The Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau designs itineraries for sporting events, conventions and meetings, not only for participants in the tournaments or conferences, but also for their additional guests. Our information packets highlight the attributes of our city.

To attract motorcoaches, sporting events, conventions and meetings, Convention and Visitors Bureau Sales Manager Katie Corley actively promotes Albany at local, state and national industry conferences. We also partner with local civic clubs, organizations or professional development groups to host regional, state and national conferences in Albany.

Tourism also comes in the form of family reunions. Throughout the year, families return home to our community to reminisce and visit the additions to the city they once called home. These visitors usually bring with them family members who have never been to Albany. The Convention and Visitors Bureau works with our attractions and hoteliers to accommodate each reunion, so they can have a tailored, unique experience.

Boasting a state-of-the-art planetarium, an AZA-accredited zoo, a civil rights institute, a unique fresh-water aquarium, one of Georgia’s wonders, the finest sub-Saharan African art in the Southeast, and the only regional informational center in the Plantation Trace region … tourism will always have a positive impact on the community and local economy.

Rashelle Beasley is the Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau’s manager. She has been with the CVB for more than eight years.