Visit Dublin GA announces local tourism industry saves Laurens County taxpayers $440 per household in 2022.
Dublin, GA – September 27th, 2023 – On World Tourism Day, Visit Dublin GA announces the tourism industry generated a total of $100.3 million in visitor expenditures in Laurens County in 2022, according to a report by Symphony Tourism Economics.
The report made available by Explore Georgia, the tourism division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, details visitor spending generating $7.6 million in state and local taxes, which is equivalent to $440 in tax savings for every household in Laurens County during 2022. The Laurens County tourism industry supported 1,073 jobs, with 4.2% of local jobs sustained by visitor spending in the county.
Laurens County has experienced two consecutive record-breaking years in tourism, with 2022 pushing 5% over one year prior. Visit Dublin GA attributes the savings to our local tax base to the hard work and dedication of partners and businesses in every capacity.
Tournaments brought in by the Dublin-Laurens County Recreation Authority, events hosted by Downtown Dublin, workforce growth by Dublin-Laurens County Development Authority, and large conference groups facilitated by Visit Dublin have all played a vital role in saving our taxpayers money while allowing our community to prosper.
Bill Brown says, “As a Dublin City Councilman and Chairman of Visit Dublin since 2011, I am thrilled to see the intentional effort from this organization to promote the tourism assets of Dublin and Laurens County. These efforts have been fruitful in that we have seen a threefold increase in Hotel/Motel tax reimbursements over the past twelve years and in turn these monies have subsidized the need for local government to otherwise potentially increase taxes on our citizens, and instead visitor spending has lowered household taxes.”
Governor Brian P. Kemp, in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, announced during Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference on Jekyll Island that the calendar year 2022 was record-breaking for the state’s tourism industry, welcoming the largest number of visitors the state has ever seen. During the conference, Governor Kemp shared that 167.7 million domestic and international visitors in 2022 brought in $39.8 billion in spending, passing the previous record set in 2019 by $2 billion.
About Visit Dublin GA
Visit Dublin GA, a destination marketing organization, promotes Dublin-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. Learn more at VisitDublinGA.org.
About Explore Georgia
Explore Georgia, the tourism division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, is the state’s official destination marketing organization. Through its home office in Atlanta, nine visitor information centers, and a network of representatives across the globe, Explore Georgia inspires travel to and within the state through marketing programs developed and executed in partnership with the state’s travel industry. Learn more at ExploreGeorgia.org.
For media requests, please contact:
Miriam Ponton Lewis
miriam@visitdublinga.org
478-272-4002
