2023 Explore Georgia Official State Travel Guide Unveiled

Governor Brian Kemp and Explore Georgia, the tourism division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Monday unveiled the 2023 Explore Georgia Official State Travel Guide.

This free, annual publication is dedicated to inspiring travel to and within the state. The 2023 edition features four different covers, marking the first time in more than a decade that the guide has been published with multiple covers.

Credit Explore Georgia

“In every corner of Georgia, residents and visitors alike can find memorable experiences that will keep them coming back,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “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.”

Showcasing Georgia’s small towns, cities, mountains, and beaches, the four 2023 Explore Georgia Official State Travel Guide covers represent the key destination types data has shown travelers are most interested in visiting. Featured cover destinations highlight diverse geographies and experiences, including Providence Canyon State Park in Lumpkin, Amicalola Falls State Park in Dawsonville, Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island, and Savannah’s Waterfront. Leaders from each of the cover destinations, including the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Dawson County Chamber of Commerce, Jekyll Island Authority, and Visit Savannah, as well as General Assembly members from these areas, attended the unveiling.

In 2021, Georgia welcomed nearly 160 million visitors, resulting in $34.4 billion in direct visitor spending. The impact of this visitation on the economy generated more than $4 billion in state and local tax revenues and $64.5 billion in total economic impact.

“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,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson. “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.”

Informed by traveler sentiment research, the travel guide contains more than 125 pages of beautiful imagery and quality storytelling about destinations across the state. In addition to editorial coverage of metro Atlanta, the guide features destinations outside metro Atlanta in more than 75 percent of the content. Also new this year is the inclusion of QR codes throughout the publication, which offer readers access to even more inspirational content and trip ideas on the Explore Georgia website.

Credit Explore Georgia

“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,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development Deputy Commissioner for Tourism Mark Jaronski. “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.”

As part of this visitor-centered approach, Explore Georgia increased circulation of the 2023 Explore Georgia Official State Travel Guide by 50 percent compared to 2022 to meet increased travel and consumer demand. The 750,000 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 about the 2023 Explore Georgia Official State Travel Guide, visit ExploreGeorgia.org.

Credit Blane Marable Photography

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. Despite COVID-19’s impact on the travel industry, Georgia’s tourism industry drove $64.5 billion in total economic impact and supported more than 422,600 jobs in 2021. Learn more at ExploreGeorgia.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 entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. Visit www.georgia.org for more information.