This month, Governor Brian Kemp and Explore Georgia, the tourism division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, officially unveiled the 2023 official state travel guide for Georgia featuring four different covers, one of which is Amicalola Falls State Park in Dawsonville.
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According to a press release by the governor’s office, the “2023 Explore Georgia Official State Travel Guide” is a free, annual publication dedicated to inspiring travel to and within Georgia. This year’s edition features four different covers, making it the first time in over a decade that the guide has been published with more than one cover.
“In every corner of Georgia, residents and visitors alike can find memorable experiences that will keep them coming back,” Kemp said in the release. “This year's travel guide does an excellent job highlighting the sights and people that make the Peach State such a welcoming place. Thank you to our Explore Georgia team, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, and the hardworking tourism professionals throughout our state who created this valued resource, which I'm confident will inspire new and repeat visitors alike to find exciting new experiences their families will cherish for years to come."
The four covers showcase Georgia’s small towns, cities, mountains and beaches, representing the key destination types that data has shown travelers are most interested in visiting. In addition to Amicalola Falls, the covers include Providence Canyon State Park in Lumpkin County, Driftwood Beach in Jekyll Island and Savannah’s Waterfront. Leaders from each of the cover destinations, including representatives from the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce, attended the unveiling on Feb. 13.
“From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Golden Isles, Georgia is a beautiful state with destinations and experiences for everyone. When Georgians and visitors alike set out to enjoy that beauty and create memories, they support businesses across the state, generating jobs and tax revenues that benefit our communities, while experiencing a Georgia hospitality that will welcome them back again and again,” Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson said in the release. “Many thanks to our Explore Georgia team for their dedication to promoting our state’s tourism offerings through visitor-driven strategies, including the travel guide. It plays a key role in marketing Georgia as a top travel destination and driving economic impact into local communities in every corner of the state.”
The travel guide is informed by traveler sentiment research and contains over 125 pages of images and stories about destinations in Georgia. This year’s guide also includes QR codes throughout the publication, giving readers access to even more content and trip ideas on the Explore Georgia website.
“Finding ways to better serve visitors’ interests and grow this year’s travel guide during a period of record inflation nationwide required innovation, creativity, and courage,” Georgia Department of Economic Development Deputy Commissioner for Tourism Mark Jaronski said in the release. “Thanks to the leadership of Governor Kemp and Commissioner Wilson, the strength of our team, the support of the Georgia Tourism Foundation board of directors, and the rich stories we get to tell in Georgia, I am confident we did it. The 2023 travel guide features more in-depth storytelling than ever before and increased distribution in new places like the Georgia Aquarium and LakePoint Sports. This growth will advance our goals of driving ever-increasing levels of visitation and visitor spending across our state in the years to come.”
Guides are distributed to consumers online at the Explore Georgia website, by phone at 1-800-VISIT-GA, on-site at the nine Georgia Visitor Information Centers and through a statewide network of tourism partners. For more information, go to ExploreGeorgia.org.