The Future of Travel in Georgia: Policies for a Better Tomorrow
As Georgia and our local destinations emerge from the pandemic and welcome back visitors, it’s time to turn the page and look ahead—to imagine a future for Georgia’s travel industry that is bold and imaginative, competitive and helps small businesses thrive.
This National Travel and Tourism Week (May 1-7), the Georgia Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus (GACVB) and our industry partners recognize the Future of Travel and the critical role our industry will play in rebuilding our local economy, fostering sustainability, ushering in new innovations and reconnecting Americans to each other and the world.
It is also an opportunity to remind lawmakers of the incredible value travel holds for America’s future growth and success as we move beyond the pandemic.
Travel is such an important part of who we are as a community. Before the pandemic, Georgia’s travel and tourism industry had a $69.0 Billion total economic impact supporting 484,000 jobs.* Nationally, travel generated $2.6 trillion in economic output, supported 17 million American jobs and delivered a $51 billion trade surplus to the U.S. in 2019—proof that travel will have an outsized role to play in Georgia and America’s economic recovery.
This vital revenue source was severely diminished amid the pandemic. To help return our industry to sustained growth, it is crucial that lawmakers prioritize policies to facilitate a more prosperous future for the millions of workers whose livelihoods depend on this industry.
The future of travel is sustainable
Georgia attracts 152.2 million* many of whom visit natural and historic sites. Protecting these treasures locally—and restoring other sites such as national parks, national forests, beaches and natural attractions—ensures they can be enjoyed for generations to come. Travel and sustainability can complement one another. With the right tools in place, travelers can see and experience our country—and protect it.
The future of travel is innovative
Infrastructure investments in roads, airports, transit and passenger rail are key to making it easier to access destinations and attractions. New transportation technologies like high-speed rail, autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles and other innovative technologies can improve travel
times and attract more visitors to Georgia destinations.
The future of travel is seamless
While we’ve all grown accustomed to the ease of virtual meetings, travel and in-person meetings and events should be just as simple. Biometrics, improved baggage checks and ticketing services and other technological advancements make the travel process more secure and efficient. As American workers look to hit the road again, lawmakers should continue to champion these innovations as integral to restarting business travel.
The future of travel is globally competitive
Promoting America as a premier destination for global travelers is more important than ever as we recover from steep losses. Lawmakers should continue to advocate for funding for destination marketing organizations like our state tourism office, Explore Georgia, the tourism division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development as well as Georgia’s local convention and visitors bureaus so we can welcome back visitors from near and far.
The pandemic was a setback, but it’s also an opportunity to reimagine the travel industry. If lawmakers plan for the future by prioritizing these policies today, businesses in Georgia can recover more quickly and rebuild the travel industry to be more dynamic, innovative, sustainable
and competitive than ever before.
* Explore Georgia, the state tourism office within the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD).
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Free Comic Book Day at Galactic Comics & Games Featuring Author Ron Baxley Jr.
YBR Publishing fantasy and “Oz universe” author Ron Baxley, Jr. was recently named one of five finalists in the Best Novel/Novella Category for the 2022 Palmetto Scribe Awards at Atomacon and will be attending Free Comic Book Day at Galactic Comics and Games in Statesboro as a guest author on Saturday, May 7 to sign and sell books, including his finalist title, and original graphic novel art from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
He will be attending with Ziggy Elf Corgi, his nine-year-old shelter-adopted Pembroke Welsh Corgi that Ron’s graphic novel series is based upon.
Baxley, Jr has had signings at the comic book store in “The Boro” for a number of years with titles inspired by or partially inspired by his Corgi. But he very recently received the finalist recognition, on top of other past awards, for a young adult and adult fantasy book which has a magic staff with the attributes of a Corgi. The book is the second in the O.Z. Diggs VII series and is entitled, “O.Z. Doesn’t Diggs G.C.C. at Emerald City”.
On early Saturday, April 23, Baxley, Jr. promoted Free Comic Book Day for Galactic Comics and Games at the Statesboro Main Street Farmers Market in their relatively new covered facility behind Visit Statesboro! He said he looks forward to seeing new and old faces at Galactic Comics for Free Comic Book Day on May 7. Free specially marked comics from publishers are passed out at comic book shops on this designated day every year. For more information, contact [email protected] or [email protected] .
Shown is Ron’s table at the recent Main Street Farmers Market in Statesboro. Also shown is Ron with Ziggy at his author table at his latest book signing at The Beaufort Bookstore in Beaufort, S.C.
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It’s a Fiesta
The Downtown Statesboro Development Authority will host Fiesta de Mayo, First Friday on May 6 from 5:30p.m. to 8:00p.m. on the Courthouse lawn.
Downtown First Friday provides a space and place for the community to gather and celebrate history, art and entertainment in a diverse environment. Fiesta de Mayo is a celebration of Latin culture in the heart of downtown Statesboro.
DJ Randy will have a playlist so you can dance the night away to salsa, merengue and a variety of Spanish tunes. There will be food trucks, chips and salsa, Coca-Cola products. Downtown businesses and vendors will be present so you can shop local for your perfect Mother’s Day gift.
Core Credit Union, our First Friday sponsor, will have a photo booth for everyone to get their pictures taken to remember the night for years to come. Party Harbor will provide a bouncy house so children can jump and play with parental supervision.
“One of the evening’s favorite booths is the Tormenta FC tent. People can kick a soccer ball, meet the players and Bolt the Ibis Mascot.” said Allen Muldrew, Executive Director for the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority.
F1RST Fridays are possible by the support of the following sponsors: Tormenta FC, Morris Bank, McKeithen’s True Value, CORE Credit Union, Statesboro Properties, Georgia Power, McLendon Enterprises, East Georgia Center for Oral and Facial Surgery, Coca Cola, Statesboro Oral Surgery, Colony Bank, Party Harbor, Via Media and Southern Chiropractic & Wellness Center. For more information, please contact the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority by calling (912)764-7227 or emailing [email protected].
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Celebrating Cinco de Mayo with Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles at the GSUPAC
Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles, accompanied by the Grammy-winning Mariachi Garibaldi, brings the spirit of Cinco de Mayo to the Performing Arts Center at Georgia Southern. Come out for this exhilarating performance, April 30, 2022, at 7:30 pm. Tickets are on sale now!
¡Viva Mexico! ¡Viva America! Founded in 2011, Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles (BFLA) catapulted to international fame when they danced at the 90th Annual Academy Awards in celebration of the Pixar movie, “Coco,” and through their special appearance on “Dancing with the Stars.” Most recently, they are excited to be a part of the new Disney live production of “Coco” which is set for streaming on Disney+. Though young, BFLA has already distinguished itself as the nation’s premier Mexican folk dance company. This versatile group performs both traditional and modern regional dances in world-class venues across the globe. Accompanied onstage by the live musicians of Mariachi Garibaldi, led by three-time Grammy winner Jimmy K.Cuéllar, BFLA will leave you spellbound with precise, elegant movement and dazzling costumes. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo a few days early with this colorful and sparkling evening of music and dance!
Tickets are $25 for adults and $12 for youth 17 and under and are on sale now at the GSUPAC Box Office. Discounts are available for Georgia Southern students and faculty/staff. Group rates for groups of 10 or more are also available. Visit the Box Office in person Monday-Friday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, or purchase tickets over the phone at 912-478-7999 or online at www.georgiasouthern.edu/pac.
For those interested in learning more about the tradition of the Ballet Folklórico, the PAC will be hosting a free virtual lecture on Thursday, April 28 at 6 pm. Join Dr. Angélica Castillo Reyna (PhD History, UNC Chapel Hill) for a virtual lecture discussing the origins of Ballet Folklórico in Mexico and the U.S. southwest. The lecture will explore the emergence of Ballet Folklórico during an era of post-revolutionary cultural and nationalistic revitalization in mid-20th century Mexico and will trace the emergence and significance of Ballet Folklórico within Mexican-American communities starting in the late 1960s. Questions and comments are welcome during the presentation. Follow the PAC on social media or visit our website for more information on this event.
Before the show starts on Saturday, visit a pop-up exhibition in the PAC lobby, “Tracing Mexico’s Shifting Cultural Identity Through Print Media,” curated by Georgia Southern History students to learn more about Mexico’s rich cultural traditions and politics through examples of rare print media produced in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries now housed in the Zach S. Henderson Library’s Special Collections.
For more information, including cast and crew interview inquiries, please contact:
Stacie McDaniel
(912) 478-0830
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F1rst Friday Downtown Arts
The Downtown Statesboro Development Authority will be hosting its first annual Downtown Arts on April 1,2022 from 5:30-8:00 p.m.
This year the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority (DSDA) has collaborated with the Averitt Center for the Arts, Georgia Southern Arts Department and downtown businesses to have art exhibits within walking distance of the Courthouse square.
“It’s like Taste of Downtown but with art exhibits. We will have a free guide available that will help people find the art stops inside shops and restaurants. Come and appreciate all of the creative artists that we have in our community” said Allen Muldrew, Executive Director of the DSDA.
This F1RST Friday event will begin on the Courthouse lawn where there will be music, vendors and food trucks. Stop by the Coke table to get information of where the art exhibits will be on display. Local artists and Georgia Southern Betty Foy Sanders Department of Arts students will have art available for purchase. There will be various mediums of art including paint, sculpture, ceramics and jewelry.
Participating downtown businesses include: 67 Styles, Downtown Nutrition, MC Boutiques, Miracles Children’s Boutique, Charlie’s Funky Junk, Lucy’s on Main (Material Girl), Vino 1910, Hairstudio 101, Cool Beanz Espresso Bar, Posh Boutique, Galactic Comics & Games, Averitt Center for the Arts, Southern Pottery & Arts Studio, Tandoor & Tap, Lori Grice Photography, Garage Fit , Georgia Southern BIG alley and Jaxe & Grace Boutique.
F1RST Fridays are possible by the support of the following sponsors: Tormenta FC, Morris Bank McKeithen’s True Value, CORE Credit Union, Statesboro Properties, Zaxby’s, Georgia Power, McLendon Enterprises, East Georgia Center for Oral and Facial Surgery, Coca Cola, Statesboro Oral Surgery, Colony Bank, Party Harbor, Via Media and Southern Chiropractic & Wellness Center.
For more information, please contact the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority by calling (912)764-7227 or emailing [email protected].
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A Bite of the Boro: Statesboro Sweets
Upon opening the doors of Statesboro Sweets, you are greeted with the friendly sights and smells of a local bakery. A wonderfully sweet scent wafts through the air and lingers in your senses as you look across the counter at the beautifully decorated cakes. At first glance you might be under the impression that desserts are the only thing sold here, this however is not the case.
Do not let the name fool you, Statesboro Sweets offers up some of the most delicious food you can find in the Boro. Their lunch menu includes items such as a Pimento Cheese and Bacon Sandwich, French Dip Philly Cheesesteak, Grilled PB&J and Grilled Shrimp Ciabatta! They also offer multiple versions of their delicious burgers, all of which are hand-pattied and made to order!
While you decide which lunch item and side to order, don’t forget to glance down the counter and pick which delectable dessert you will treat yourself to afterwords!
If you have a special event coming up and need a specialty cake made, Statesboro Sweets has you covered! They have specialists that are ready to help you create the cake of your dreams. Whether it’s for a wedding, birthday, celebration, or just because you want a delicious cake!
Statesboro Sweets offers breakfast from 7am-11am and lunch from 11am-3pm Monday-Friday. They are located at 107 East Parrish St, Statesboro, Georgia. Check their website or give them a call at (912) 225-9944.
Ryan Redding
Hospitality Specialist
[email protected]
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Here Comes the Sun Brings the Best of the Beatles to GSUPAC
Come experience a Beatles revue like no other when the Performing Arts Center at Georgia Southern hosts HERE COMES THE SUN: Celebrating the Music of the Beatles! This upcoming performance is scheduled for Thursday, March 24, 2022, at 7:30 pm. Tickets are on sale now!
Celebrating the Beatles with a fresh, vibrant, and musically authentic act that brings audiences to their feet, HERE COMES THE SUN is an extraordinary tribute to a decade of Beatles hits. Not an impersonation act, this performance features a six-person band of multi-instrumentalist/vocalists with professional credits spanning Broadway, Lincoln Center, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra to create a one-of-a-kind concert experience that celebrates the best music from The Fab Four. As the popularity of The Beatles reached epic proportions, they took musical risks that led to an illustrious catalog like no other band has ever generated. Forgoing silly lookalike costumes and wigs to focus on the music that made them legends, HERE COMES THE SUN recreates this deeply-layered and multi-textured creative period using the combined efforts of six players switching between various instruments in a modern rock-and-roll experience that is sure to satisfy true Beatles fans!
“I have seen a LOT of Beatles acts in my years programming for the PAC, but the guys are the absolute best in the business. I cannot wait for them to bring their talent and authenticity to us here in Statesboro!” says GSUPAC Director Stacie McDaniel.
Tickets are $24 for adults and $12 for youth 17 and under and are on sale now at the GSUPAC Box Office. Discounts are available for Georgia Southern students and faculty/staff. Group rates for groups of 10 or more are also available. Visit the Box Office in person Monday-Friday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, or purchase tickets over the phone at 912-478-7999 or online at www.georgiasouthern.edu/pac.
For more information, including cast and crew interview inquiries, please contact:
Stacie McDaniel
(912) 478-0830
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4th Annual CASSEGA Grand Slam Hosted by Core Credit Union
Come out and golf for a great cause at the 4th Annual CASSEGA Grand Slam hosted by CORE Credit Union on March 5, 2022, at the Georgia Southern Golf Course. Golfers will tee-up for more than just a round of golf. They are playing to benefit abused and neglected children in Bulloch, Effingham, Jenkins and Screven Counties. This annual tournament benefits the Ogeechee Visitation Centers and CASA Ogeechee.
To register visit: www.casaogeechee.org/grandslam
Registration Information:
$100 per golfer (max of 4 per team)
$20 for 3 Mulligans
Please send your handicap to [email protected]
SCHEDULE:
8:30 a.m. Registration Opens
9:15 a.m. Welcome & Rules
9:30 a.m. Shotgun Start – Scramble Format
Approx. 1:00 p.m. Lunch is served
Here is a link to the Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/634922254292998
Additional Information:
Child Advocacy Services SEGA, Inc. is the sponsoring agency for CASA Ogeechee and the Ogeechee Visitation Centers. CASA Ogeechee serves Bulloch, Effingham, Jenkins, and Screven Counties. CASA speaks up for children who have been abused or neglected by empowering community volunteers who advocate for the children in the court system. When the state steps in to protect a child’s safety, a Juvenile Judge appoints a trained CASA volunteer to make independent and informed recommendations to serve the child’s best interests.
Ogeechee Visitation Centers provides a safe space for children in foster care in Southeast Georgia to have weekly court-ordered visits with their biological families. Our trained staff not only provides supervised visitation at our two locations in Statesboro and Guyton but personal one-on-one parent coaching and education. Last year CASA Ogeechee volunteers advocated for 106 children and had 19 children reach permanency through reunification with their parents and 14 children adopted into their forever home. The Ogeechee Visitation Center supervised visits for 79 children from 45 families.
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Celtic Angels Ireland Brings the Emerald Isle to GSUPAC
The Performing Arts Center at Georgia Southern is excited to welcome Celtic Angels Ireland, the next show in their 2021-2022 Main Stage Series! This performance is scheduled for Tuesday, March 1, 2022, at 7:30 pm. Tickets are on sale now!
A joyous celebration of everything Irish comes to Statesboro with this energetic and exciting performance from the young stars of Celtic Angels Ireland. Honoring their cherished heritage through traditional Irish music and dance, these entertainers enthrall from the moment the lights dim, transporting audiences across the Atlantic on the wings of music with the stirring songs of Ireland. Five beautiful women with the sweetest voices under heaven make up the Celtic Angels: Victoria Kenny, Amy Penston, Eimear Crealey, Nuirgen O’Mahoney, and Sari Greenberg, accompanied by accomplished violinist Danielle Marien Turano – Irish to the core and seasoned entertainers all, with credits such as West Side Story, Grease, and Jury’s Irish Cabaret. These remarkable vocalists are joined onstage by The Celtic Knight Dancers, featuring lead dancers from the world-renowned Riverdance, and the Trinity Band Ensemble of Dublin, who round out the show with their flawless interpretations of authentic Irish Trad instrumentals. Join us for this evening of award-winning song, dance, and music that will leave you breathless.
Says GSUPAC Director Stacie McDaniel, “I could not imagine a more beautiful celebration of Celtic and Irish culture. Come join us and be transported on a mini-vacation to the Emerald Isle!”
Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for youth 17 and under and are on sale now at the GSUPAC Box Office. Discounts are available for Georgia Southern students and faculty/staff. Group rates for groups of 10 or more are also available. Visit the Box Office in person Monday-Friday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, or purchase tickets over the phone at 912-478-7999 or online at www.georgiasouthern.edu/pac.
For more information, including cast and crew interview inquiries, please contact:
Stacie McDaniel
(912) 478-0830
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2022 Farmers Market Applications and Guidelines
Applications for the 2022 season are here! If you are interested in becoming a vendor at the Statesboro Farmers Market, please download an application, or stop by the Statesboro Convention and Visitors Bureau and pick one up in person. Guidelines for the 2022 market are also available.
New member applications are accepted February 1 through November 1, and applications are reviewed monthly.
Completed applications with relevant attachments can be brought to the SCVB office located at 222 S Main St. or mailed to:
Statesboro Farmers Market
PO Box 1135
Statesboro, GA
30459
Click on the appropriate application below:
Statesboro Farmers Market Guidelines: Rules and Regulations for Vendors
Application for Farmers & Food Producers
Application for Food Purveyors (Prepared Foods)
Application for Artisans (Arts & Crafts)
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