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The ADVANCE, Moy 5, 2021 /Page 3A
Explore Georgia Launches Marketing Campaign
and Travel Guide To Support Tourism Recovery
To celebrate National
Travel and Tourism Week,
Governor Brian P. Kemp in
conjunction with Explore
Georgia, the state tourism
office within the Georgia
Department of Economic
Development (GDEcD),
announced several new
initiatives to increase visi
tation and support tour
ism recovery in the state.
During a virtual event held
at the Georgia Aquarium,
Explore Georgia launched
a new marketing cam
paign, 'Ready. Set. Geor
gia., 1 unveiled the latest
'2021 Explore Georgia Of
ficial State Travel Guide, 1
and highlighted $ 1 million
in new grant and co-op op
portunities for the tourism
industry made possible by
Governor Kemp’s amend
ed FY21 budget.
“As more people are
vaccinated and eager to
travel, tourism is a top pri
ority for Georgia’s econ
omy, and I am committed
to ensuring both its recov
ery and continued suc
cess. I was glad to approve
an additional $1 million
to support communities
throughout the state to re
start their tourism market
ing after a year when their
primary funding source
was impacted dramatical
ly,” said Governor Kemp.
“This will continue to bol
ster our recovery efforts,
helping our state’s tourism
industry get back on its
feet, and welcome more
visitors to Georgia.”
Georgia’s tourism
industry benefits local
economies and small busi
nesses across the state, and
evidence shows that the
state is beginning to see
brighter days ahead. Be
cause Georgia remained
open for business in 2020,
the state is in a stronger
position than much of the
United States as according
to positive trends in recent
weeks. National visitation
data tracked by Arrivalist
shows that total trips to or
within the state were up
75% in March year-over
year and up 23% compared
to Q1 2020.
“Despite the challeng
es tourism has faced, our
team at Explore Georgia
found creative ways to pro
mote safe travel to Geor
gia. With the support of
Governor Kemp and our
tourism partners across
the state, we’ve been able
to ensure that Georgia is in
the best position possible
as we begin recovery,” said
Pat Wilson, Commission
er of GDEcD. “All across
the state, we are seeing
evidence that tourism - de
spite the pandemic - has
remained strong and will
prosper for years to come.”
'Ready. Set. Georgia.,'
the state’s new multimil-
lion-dollar recovery mar
keting campaign, launches
this week across a variety
of digital and print media.
Informed by traveler senti
ment, the campaign high
lights a mix of city, coastal,
and small town destina
tions throughout the state,
pairing iconic imagery
with active calls to travel
ers to get out and explore.
In time for summer
travel planning, the '2021
Explore Georgia Official
Travel Guide' includes
ideas for exploration
throughout Georgia. Pro
duced by Blue Sky Agen
cy in Atlanta, the guide’s
cover features a call to ac
tion: EXPLORE. Within
each letter, a photo - taken
by actual Georgia travel
ers - provides a glimpse of
the state’s most beloved,
inspiring, and unexpected
destinations. The '2021
Explore Georgia Official
Travel Guide' is produced
in partnership with At
lanta Magazine Custom
Media and is available for
free. The guide can be re
quested online at Explore-
Georgia.org, by calling
1-800-VISIT GA, or at any
of the state’s nine Visitor
Information Centers.
“Georgia’s ‘open for
business’ approach and
success with vaccinations
has given the travel indus
try the license to operate,
meeting a steady increase
in demand as travelers
convert a year’s worth of
pent-up demand into solid
travel plans,” said Mark
Jaronski, Deputy Com
missioner of Tourism at
GDEcD.
Across the U.S., the
travel industry is celebrat
ing the annual National
Travel and Tourism Week
(NTTW), May 2-8, 2021.
Through the theme Power
of Travel, it shines a spot
light on the critical role
that travel will play in driv
ing economic recovery ef
forts and building the path
forward. The celebration
unites communities across
the country, highlight
ing what travel means to
American jobs, economic
growth, and personal well
being.
“NTTW takes on a
special significance this
year as the travel industry
looks to rebound quickly
from the pandemic and ac
celerate recovery efforts,”
said U.S. Travel Associa
tion President and CEO
Roger Dow. “The past year
was incredibly challeng
ing, but we saw the full
power of the travel indus
try on display in the way
we united and supported
one another through this
crisis.”
For more information
about National Travel and
Tourism Week, visit www.
ustravel.org.
Media images and
video: https://bit.
ly/3xzaOtQ_
About Explore Georgia
Explore Georgia, the
tourism division of the
Georgia Department of
Economic Development,
is the state’s official desti
nation marketing organiza
tion. Through its home of
fice in Atlanta, nine visitor
information centers, and a
network of representatives
across the globe, Explore
Georgia inspires travel to
and within the state. The
division works to advance
Georgia’s $68.96 billion
tourism industry that sup
ports more than 484,000
jobs. Learn more at Ex-
ploreGeorgia.org.
About GDEcD
The Georgia Depart
ment of Economic Devel
opment (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 busi
nesses, locating new mar
kets for Georgia products,
attracting tourists to Geor
gia, and promoting the
state as a destination for
arts and location for film,
music and digital enter
tainment projects, as well
as planning and mobiliz
ing state resources for eco
nomic development. Visit
www.georgia.org for more
information.
RTCA HISTORY DAY — Each year students at Robert
Toombs Christian Academy participate in the National
History Day program sponsored by the Georgia Endow
ment for the Humanities and LaGrange College, There
are levels of competition including school, regional,
state and national. Each year's competition is centered
around a theme, This year's theme was "Communica
tion in History: the Key to Understanding," Juniors Marli
McCranie (L) and Madison Williams (R) recently placed
third in State Competition with their project "FDR's Fire
side Chats."
Election
continued from page 1A
seat on the State Transpor
tation Board at the conclu
sion of the legislative ses
sion in March. He replaced
Don Grantham who re
cently stepped down after
being appointed by Gov
ernor Brian P. Kemp to the
board of the Georgia Ports
Authority. Morris will
serve out the remainder of
Grantham’s term that ex
pires in 2024.
Qualifying for the spe
cial election will be held at
the Secretary of State’s Of
fice beginning May 5-7.
Monday is the last day
to register to vote for all
persons who are not reg
istered to vote and who
desire to vote in the spe
cial election. Advance in-
person voting will begin on
Monday, May 24.
Wreck
continued from page 1A
for 24 feet before hitting
the embankment with its
front end, overturning and
ejecting him.
The right front roll bar
of the vehicle landed on the
driver’s upper torso and
head and he succumbed
to his injuries at the scene.
Helms was the only occu
pant of the vehicle. The re
port noted that the victim’s
brother and cousin located
the wreck well after the
crash occurred.
The GSP is still investi
gating the incident.
Here with you then.
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We've been here for emergencies, cancer treatments
and to help you deliver your newest bundle of joy.
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And we will be here for you tomorrow.
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for our community.
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One Meadows Parkway Vidalia, GA 30474 MemorialHealthMeadows.com
