Destination Augusta, the new name for the Augusta Convention and Visitors Bureau, will be receiving money from the Explore Georgia Tourism Recovery Marketing Grant.
Gov. Brian Kemp announced the grants on Wednesday.
“The tourism and hospitality community needs our support more than ever, and this funding will provide the immediate marketing assistance they need to make sure that Georgia is on the minds of eager travelers,” said Kemp.
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The grant program will help some areas of the state that suffered the most because of the drop in tourism in 2020.
Lindsay Fruchtl, vice president of marketing for Destination Augusta said, “In 2020, Augusta’s hospitality and tourism industry suffered a 61.70% unemployment loss compared to 2019, and a 38% decline in hotel/motel tax, Destination Augusta’s primary funding source.”
The grant program will fund promotional efforts aimed at helping the travel industry’s recovery in 2021.
Destination Augusta will get $77,895 in grant money.
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Fruchtl said, “We are grateful to Governor Kemp, the Georgia General Assembly, and Explore Georgia for this funding that will aid in getting visitors back to Augusta to support our hospitality and tourism community. The funds will be utilized to execute an integrated marketing campaign in Augusta’s key feeder markets of Atlanta, Savannah, Charlotte, N.C., Greenville, S.C., Columbia, S.C., and Charleston, S.C.”
The Thomson-McDuffie County Convention and Visitors Bureau was also chosen for the grant program, getting $50,000.
CVB Director Elizabeth Vance said the funds will be used for a campaign to increase overnight stays at the hotels.
She said, “This digital-only advertising strategy targets regional consumers within a two-to-four-hour drive of Thomson. The digital campaign will include activated content, event advertising, paid search, paid social, website retargeting, and search engine optimization to market the promotion from July 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021.”
The goal is to have potential visitors go to www.VisitThomsonGa.com to get deals and discounts from local hotels and merchants.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a Staff Reporter with The Augusta Press. You can reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com.
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