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New numbers reveal georgia, savannah broke tourism records in 2022.
The state saw its largest number of visitors ever in 2022, according to data from the governor's office.
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Georgia and Savannah are breaking tourism records.
In 2022, the Peach State saw its largest number of visitors yet. Nearly 168 million people visited the state and spent almost $40 billion.
More than 17 million people visited Savannah in 2022. That's 2 million more people than in 2021. Those 17 million people spent upward of $4 billion.
Joseph Marinelli, president of Visit Savannah, said there are several things that are bringing people to the Hostess City.
"Folks come here to enjoy the variety of different types of foods that are available. Of course, they come for our historic landmarks and architecture, and at the end of the day, it's all about the true Savannah Southern hospitality," he said.
Marinelli said while Atlanta gets a lot of visitors because of its airport along with its conventions and trade shows, Savannah owns the leisure scene.
"Savannah is really the pretty face on Georgia's tourism scene," Marinelli said. "What Savannah has to offer really can't be found anywhere else in the country."
Marinelli said while the numbers for 2022 were impressive, he expects 2023 to be a good year for Savannah as well.
"So far, we are right on pace with where we were through July of last year at this time. Our hotel rates are staying high. Our visitor accounts are staying high," he said. "All of our pre-bookings at hotels, the convention business that we have on the books right now tells us that we'll continue to have a strong second half of the year."
Marinelli said Savannah already has more convention business on the books for 2024 than in all of 2023.
To read the full tourism report for Georgia, click here .
Savannah’s tourism continues to rebound from the effects of the pandemic
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - New numbers are in showing Savannah’s tourism is continuing to rebound from the effects of the pandemic.
The latest tourism numbers really compare last year to 2019 to get a better sense of where business is compared to a year not impacted by COVID.
The most recent data shows 2021 was on par with 2019 in the number of overnight visitors coming to the Hostess City.
There was one difference though that got the attention of business and tourism leaders.
“What we really saw was our day tripper numbers grow, which really makes sense when you think about coming out of the pandemic, sort of COVID fatigue and better vaccine distribution and so forth. We had more people jumping in their cars and getting out and exploring,” Joe Marinelli, President said.
And Marinelli point out those who are visiting, are spending.
“The great thing about 2021′s numbers is that the visitor spend number went up about 5-percent, and now exceeds 3.3-billion dollars of spending in our community,” Marinelli said.
That’s the kind of spending Savannah’s businesses need, like newly opened Locally Made Savannah.
“I was a little worried when we opened about the whole gas crisis, with the gas going up. But we haven’t seen a downtick in the number of tourists that we’re seeing on the streets and visiting our city either. So I think people are just adjusting and realizing that after COVID that they need to get out and go out and live a little,” Tonya Rintye, Owner, Locally Made Savannah said,
Visit Savannah says the spending numbers aren’t just reflective of business being done here in the Historic District, that it’s all over the city.
The current data indicated that 68 percent of Savannah’s overnight travelers are repeat visitors.
They site Savannah and Chatham County’s shopping, sightseeing, landmarks/historical sites, and culinary experiences as the reason for return trips.
The visitor’s average length of stay remains 2.5 days.
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Longwoods International, a leading research firm specializing in tourism and travel, recently released its 2022 Travel USA Report. The report provides an in-depth look at the state of the U.S. domestic travel market, including trends in spending and data for Savannah.
The study showed that domestic travel among Americans reached an all-time high, with overnight person-trips surpassing 2.10 billion, marking an 11.7% increase from the previous year of 2021. The report also shows that Savannah played host to 9.7 million overnight person-trips and more than $4.4 billion in total visitor spending in 2022. Savannah’s growth can be attributed to several factors, including pent-up travel demand, increased air service (27.5% increase in air arrivals versus 2021), and expanded tourism offerings.
“One of the most significant drivers of Savannah’s growing visitor economy is the incredible amount of tourism product development our community has experienced in the last decade,” said Joseph Marinelli, president of Visit Savannah. “Projects like the development of several new entertainment districts, including the Enmarket Arena, Plant Riverside, Starland district and the Eastern Wharf area, feature new options for dining, nightlife, shopping, and live music venues, while our sports teams, the Savannah Bananas and the Savannah Ghost Pirates, have been drawing national acclaim.”
The city’s increased lodging demand (up 9.2% for hotels and 3.3% for short-term rentals over 2021) generated $44.5 million in bed tax collections in 2022 (up 21.6% over 2021). Marinelli went on to say, “In the end, this tourism story is about jobs.” Savannah’s hospitality-related jobs grew 9.6% and added approximately 2,300 jobs in 2022 1 , employing more than 27,000 people in the Savannah area. In addition to jobs, taxes generated by the visitor economy save each Savannah household at least $1,600 a year 2 . These statistics show that Savannah’s tourism economy benefits residents and visitors alike.
Marinelli emphasizes that the “mission of Visit Savannah is to promote visitation in a way that supports Savannah’s economic vitality and the quality of life for our community.”
Data Sources
- Savannah Hilton Head International Airport
- Smith Travel Research
- Tybee Island City, Chatham County, City of Savannah
- Center for Business Analytics and Economic Research (CBAER), Georgian Southern University
- 1 The Bureau of Labor Statistics – Current Employment Statistics
- 2 Tourism Economics. (2017). A cost/benefit analysis of Savannah’s tourism sector. City of Savannah: Savannah, GA
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Savannah, GA | Savannah.com
Visitor Centers in Savannah
The Chamber of Commerce has several visitor centers in Savannah. From the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport to the Historic District and even out to Tybee Island , there are centers with all kinds of brochures, maps and magazines, such as Savannah Scene , to guide you around the city.
MLK Visitor Information Center (the main visitor center)
301 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 944-0455
Hours: Daily: 9 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.
Visit Savannah Visitor Information Center
101 E. Bay St., Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 644-6400
Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The River Street Visitor Information Center
1 W. River St., Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 651-6662
Hours: January and December: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. February – November: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Savannah/ Hilton Head International Airport Visitor Center
400 Airways Ave., Savannah, GA 31408
(912) 966-3743 or savannahairport.com/visiting/info-center
Hours: Monday – Sunday: 8:30 a.m. – midnight
Georgia Visitors Center – Savannah
Mile Marker 111, I-95 South, Port Wentworth, GA 31407
(912) 963-2546
Hours: Monday – Sunday: 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Tybee Island Visitor Information Center
Campbell Ave. & Hwy. 80, Tybee Island, GA 31328
(912) 786-5444
Hours: Monday – Sunday: 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
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The Savannah tourism sector continued its strong post-pandemic growth. In 2022, Savannah hosted 9.7 million overnight visitors and 7.3 million day-visitors. The demand for rooms increased 9.3% in 2022 while the supply of available rooms increased 1.8% to 18,549. In 2022, room tax revenue rose to 44.5 million, up 22% from 2021, more than double ...
Georgia and Savannah are breaking tourism records. In 2022, the Peach State saw its largest number of visitors yet. Nearly 168 million people visited the state and spent almost $40 billion. Advertisement. More than 17 million people visited Savannah in 2022. That's 2 million more people than in 2021.
This report delves into Savannah tourism statistics from 2020 to 2024, exploring the initial decline, the subsequent recovery, and the potential trajectory. ... Visitor Numbers. Savannah welcomed approximately 16.5 million visitors in 2022, up from 2021.
In data from Longwoods International's Travel USA study, Savannah saw strong tourism numbers in 2021 after COVID-related declines in 2020. Visitor spending increased for Savannah and Chatham County by 4.7 percent over 2019, with $3.3 billion spent in our community for 2021. The most significant expenditures in this category include lodging ...
The report also shows that Savannah played host to 9.7 million overnight person-trips and more than $4.4 billion in total visitor spending in 2022. Savannah's growth can be attributed to several factors including pent-up travel demand, increased air service (27.5% increase in air arrivals versus 2021), and expanded tourism offerings.
2023: $4.7 Billion. In 2023, visitor spending in Savannah surged to an impressive $4.7 billion, reflecting a continued growth in tourism and the city's increasing appeal as a premier travel destination. 2022: $4.4 Billion. In 2022, Savannah experienced a remarkable surge in visitor spending, reaching an impressive $4.4 billion.
Longwoods International, a renowned authority in tourism and travel research, has unveiled its highly anticipated 2023 Travel USA Report, offering a comprehensive analysis of the domestic travel landscape within the United States. Among the report's highlights is the remarkable performance of Savannah's tourism sector, reflecting a vibrant destination poised for sustained growth.
The report highlights a 6.5% surge in visitor spending compared to 2022, with more than $4.7 billion spent in Savannah and Chatham County in 2023. Longwood's findings also revealed that the Savannah/Chatham County area attracted significant repeat overnight visitors, with 69% having visited the area at least once before and 39% staying within ...
The report shows Savannah-area visitors stayed longer and spent more money last year. Eight of 10 visitors stayed three nights, which is up from three of 10 in 2022. Visitor spending was up 6.5% ...
Studies. Tourism Management Plan, The Experience Institute, 2018. St. Patrick's Day Impact: Business Perception and Tax Revenue Analysis, Bureau of Business Research and Economic Development, Georgia Southern University, 2018. A Cost/Benefit Analysis of Savannah's Tourism Sector, Tourism Economic, 2017. Sustainable Tourism Companion, City of Savannah Sustainability Office, 2016
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - New numbers are in showing Savannah's tourism is continuing to rebound from the effects of the pandemic. The latest tourism numbers really compare last year to 2019 to get a better sense of where business is compared to a year not impacted by COVID. The most recent data shows 2021 was on par with 2019 in the number of ...
City of Savannah P.O. Box 1027 2 East Bay Street Savannah, GA 31401. View Site Map. Departments. City Manager. City Attorney. Clerk of Council. Infrastructure and Development. ... Tourism Advisory Committee. Learn more about the Tourism Advisory Committee. Tourism Advisory Committee. Tour Services for Hire. Tourism Management Plan.
Savannah sees more money, more visitors in 2018. Last year visitors to the Hostess City opened their wallets more than ever, spending a record breaking $3 billion in 2018, an increase of 3.2% ...
The state saw its largest number of visitors ever in 2022, according to the governor's office.Subscribe to WJCL on YouTube now for more: https://bit.ly/2rn8E...
The city's popularity translates to even more valuable numbers: Jobs. More than 30,000 Savannah-area residents work in the travel and tourism sector, representing nearly 15% of all non ...
The report also shows that Savannah played host to 9.7 million overnight person-trips and more than $4.4 billion in total visitor spending in 2022. Savannah's growth can be attributed to several factors, including pent-up travel demand, increased air service (27.5% increase in air arrivals versus 2021), and expanded tourism offerings.
Tourism is Savannah's "golden goose," as one council candidate put it at a recent forum, bringing in an estimated $4.4 billion in visitor spending in 2022, according to data from Visit ...
Will Green, owner of Old Savannah Tours, said the company has seen unprecedented numbers of people with a "pent-up demand for travel" taking tours with his company. ... an estimated 14.4 ...
OPEN 363 DAYS A YEAR! (Most Visitor Information Center locations are closed on Christmas Day & New Years Day only.) During inclement weather, please call ahead before visiting one of our Visitor Centers. MLK Visitor Information Center 301 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Savannah, GA 31401 912.944.0455 HOURS OF OPERATION Daily 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. *Parking passes no longer available at this location.
The Chamber of Commerce has several visitor centers in Savannah. From the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport to the Historic District and even out to Tybee Island, there are centers with all kinds of brochures, maps and magazines, such as Savannah Scene, to guide you around the city.. MLK Visitor Information Center (the main visitor center)
Digital marketing and the use of social media influencers has transformed Savannah's typical tourist. When Marinelli took the helm of Visit Savannah in 2007, the average age of visitors was late ...
Historic and hip, Savannah's neighborhoods are full of character. Tour the city and see gorgeous gardens, bustling boutiques, edgy artwork and stately Victorian-era homes. The official Insider's Guide is your go-to reference for all things Savannah & Tybee Island! Read an online version here or click below to order one by mail.
About Our Members. Visit Savannah represents over 800 individual local businesses within the greater Savannah area. Our tourism members include: Attractions and museums, restaurants and food services, lodging, tours, entertainment, recreation, and retail. Our services & hospitality members include: Businesses in banking, advertising, printing ...