Hospitality and tourism are a major economic driver in Georgia, and the University of Georgia is working in several key areas to support and expand that industry.
In 2021, nearly 200 million visitors to Georgia produced $34.4 billion in direct visitor spending. Those visits generated more than $4 billion in state and local tax revenues, and created a total economic impact of $64.5 billion, according to state data. The hospitality and tourism industry is Georgia’s second-largest economic contributor (after agriculture) and employs more than 400,000 residents.
A group of hospitality program students interned during the 2022 Masters golf tournament in Augusta. They were, from left, Elisabeth Strong, Morgan Schmidt, Liam Dennis, Morgan Carr, Natalie Ellison, Brianna Roberts and Madison Cantrell. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)
“As the tourism division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development continues to help grow visitation to Georgia, industry will need more of the skilled hospitality labor that UGA creates through its talent pipeline and opportunities for career development,” said Mark Jaronski, chief marketing officer for the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
Jaronski, other industry leaders, business owners and experts from UGA recently participated in the second annual Georgia Hospitality & Tourism Summit at the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel. The event, which coincided with National Travel and Tourism Week, was presented by the UGA HOST (Hospitality and Tourism) Research Initiative and funded by the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
As the hospitality and tourism industry in Georgia rebounds to pre-pandemic levels, labor challenges will increase, and UGA is well-positioned to provide workforce solutions, grow opportunities in this field and provide cutting-edge research.
The Georgia Center is a key player. The UGA Public Service and Outreach unit is a showcase for best practices in…
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