Tourism in Laurens County Generated $109.2M in Visitor Spending in 2023.
Dublin, GA September 19th, 2024 – Visit Dublin GA today announced that visitors to Laurens County brought in $109.2M in spending in calendar year 2023, according to newly released data made available by the Georgia Department of Economic Development. This record breaking total visitor spending in 2023, reflects a year-over-year (YOY) increase of 8.9%
“I am thrilled to see tourism in Laurens County continue to break records each year. In 2023, we reached an all-time high in visitor spending, which highlights the growing appeal of our community. This success is a direct result of all our tourism-related initiatives working together—from events and marketing campaigns to ballfields and gas stations.This incredible growth not only boosts our local economy but also sustains jobs and reduces tax burdens for our residents. Tourism is truly driving prosperity in Laurens County, and we are excited to keep this momentum going in the years to come.” said Visit Dublin GA Executive Director, Miriam Lewis.
Travel demand in 2023 supported 1,127 jobs and generated $8.2M in state and local tax revenues for Laurens County. Without the state and local tax revenues generated by tourism, Laurens County taxes would cost an additional $462 per year, per household. Food and beverage was the leading category in terms of share, with $30.7 million spent, accounting for 29.2% of visitor spending, and growing by 7.6% (YOY).
“Georgia’s diverse destinations, unique experiences, and welcoming communities attract visitation and visitor spending into every corner of our state,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development Statewide Tourism Director Jay Markwalter. “Together, we continue to drive increasing levels of tourism impact, powering our state and local economies, supporting jobs and businesses, and enhancing the quality of life for all Georgians.”
In 2023, Georgia broke visitation records for the second year in a row, reaching a new high of 171 million domestic and international visitors. These travelers spent a record $43.6 billion on hotels, restaurants, transportation, and other local businesses across the state and generated $5 billion in state and local tax revenues. Total economic impact for Georgia travel and tourism reached $79.7 billion and supported more than 463,400 jobs statewide.
About Visit Dublin GA
Visit Dublin GA promotes Laurens County as a destination for tourists and conventions, invests in local community resources that encourage tourism and conventions, and coordinates and stages events with regional and state-wide interest. Visit Dublin GA is the marketing brand of the
Dublin-Laurens Tourism Council, Inc., a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization. For more information about tourism in Laurens County, visit VisitDublinGA.org.
About GDEcD
The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state’s sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a destination for arts and location for film and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. Visit Georgia.org for more information.
Media Contacts
Miriam Ponton Lewis – Executive Director
Visit Dublin GA
Cayla Cardwell – Communications Manager
Georgia Department of Economic Development
