Johns Creek Convention and Visitors Bureau Awarded Tourism Grant

JOHNS CREEK, GA — The Johns Creek Convention and Visitors Bureau recently announced it has been awarded a Tourism Recovery Marketing grant from Explore Georgia, the state tourism office within the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

The Explore Georgia Tourism Recovery Marketing Grant program supports marketing efforts to bolster the recovery of Georgia’s tourism industry from the COVID-19 pandemic. Johns Creek Convention and Visitors Bureau was among 34 tourism entities across 27 counties who received a combined total of nearly $1.5 million in recovery marketing funding as part of this one-time grant program.

Gov. Brian Kemp and the Georgia General Assembly approved $1 million in the amended 2021 state budget for tourism recovery. Because of the substantial number of grant applications – from 58 organizations totaling nearly $2.5 million in funding requests – Explore Georgia contributed an additional $1 million from the state tourism marketing budget to fund as many grants as possible. The Explore Georgia Tourism Recovery Marketing program also includes $500,000 in co-op matching funds, for a total of $2 million in recovery support.

The Johns Creek Convention and Visitors Bureau will use the awarded funds for critical marketing efforts impacted by reduced revenue due to COVID-19. The City of Johns Creek offers an array of venues for events like weddings including indoor and outdoor spaces; vendors who are eager to serve and create unforgettable experiences; and clean, safe and convenient hotels. The Johns Creek Convention and Visitors Bureau will showcase the opportunity to explore an award-winning city with easy access to downtown Atlanta or the North Georgia mountains, shopping options from small boutiques to main streets, the largest mall in the southeast and outlet shopping all within an hour drive. The Johns Creek Convention and Visitors Bureau will also highlight upcoming fall events hosted in the city, including the Johns Creek Art Festival and International Festival in October. Strategic marketing campaigns as well as targeted print ads, digital ads and social media marketing will be funded by the grant.

“On behalf of the Johns Creek Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors, we are so appreciative of the grant and the willingness of Georgia Department of Economic Development and the state of Georgia to entrust these recovery funds to the Johns Creek Convention and Visitors Bureau in the critical recovery effort targeting the hospitality industry. We will use them wisely to help stimulate destination visitors to our amazing City of Johns Creek.” said Lynda Lee Smith, chairwoman of the Johns Creek Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors.

“Georgia is a beautiful state and as we continue to recover, I look forward to working alongside our industry partners to promote the state’s incredible tourism assets to travelers across the globe,” said Pat Wilson, commissioner of Georgia Department of Economic Development. “These grants are an important tool for our industry organizations, the majority of which are small businesses, to begin their recovery efforts. We are dedicated to rebuilding travel and tourism across our state because Georgia’s diverse economy cannot fully recover until our tourism and hospitality industry is thriving once again.”

The Explore Georgia Tourism Recovery Marketing Grant program was designed to provide relief to areas of the state most impacted by the drop in tourism and will fund promotional efforts to aid the travel industry’s recovery in 2021. The grants awarded have prioritized organizations and communities that have experienced the greatest impact from the loss of visitors and subsequent tourism spending during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As we head into a summer when we expect to see a tremendous reemergence of domestic tourism and the economic prosperity that travel brings, the funding of these grants recognizes the importance of communicating the diversity of visitor experiences across Georgia that are close to home for so many Americans,” said Mark Jaronski, deputy commissioner of tourism at Georgia Department of Economic Development. “Thanks to a great working relationship with our destination marketing partners across the state, we believe that we can be most effective in what’s expected to be an incredibly competitive landscape by marketing Georgia to the American public together and complementing the state’s tourism recovery campaign 'Ready. Set. Georgia.'”

The applications were evaluated based on need, quantified by the year-over-year loss in Hotel-Motel Excise Tax collections for the organization, and the change in unemployment in the organization’s county. Grant recipients received 100 percent of the award amount requested on their applications.