Tourism, Soccer and the Community

Community leaders came together last week to celebrate another banner year for tourism in Statesboro and Bulloch County. 
        Ogeechee Technical College’s Natural Resources Building served as the venue for the Statesboro Convention and Visitor’s Bureau’s annual meeting. Outgoing President Darin Van Tassell has personally invested heavily in tourism generating enterprises from the continued expansion of The Clubhouse to launching a professional soccer team, Tormenta FC, which was in attendance. 
        Van Tassell welcomed Beda Johnson, division director of tourism for the Georgia Department of Economic Development, as the keynote speaker. She shared with the attendees the impact tourism has on Georgia as a whole and Bulloch County individually. Tourism statewide supports 439,000 jobs or 10.3 percent of all non-farm jobs in the state. Georgia homeowners receive an $850 annual reduction in their tax burden as a direct result of tourism. The total economic impact for tourism statewide is $58.9 billion.
        Breaking those numbers down for Bulloch County, we have 1,132 jobs generated by tourism locally. Tourism in Bulloch County last year generated $133.4 million in direct travel spending, created $5 million in state tax revenues and $3.9 million in local tax revenues. Each Bulloch County household received $299 in tax relief per-household as a result of taxes generated by direct travel spending.
        Johnson applauded the Convention and Visitors Bureau and our community for its commitment to tourism. 
        “Statesboro and Bulloch County are always moving forward with new and exciting marketable projects, from Splash in the Boro to The Clubhouse and now Tormenta FC,” Johnson said. “It takes a special community to launch and sustain projects like these. his is a testimony locally to the understanding and support of tourism.” 
        Van Tassell passed the gavel to incoming president Barry Turner and recognized incoming board members Olivia O’Mahoney, Franklin Dismuke and Dr. Brent Tharp. He also introduced Becky Davis the as the new executive director of the SCVB and Justin Samples as the marketing manager.
        The final order of business was recognizing the 2016 Tourism Partner of the Year, Eagle Creek Brewery. 
        Turner applauded owner Franklin Dismuke and his team at Eagle Creek Brewery for always exceeding their expectations as a tourism partner. 
        “Eagle Creek is always receptive to supporting the SCVB in any way we request,” Turner said. “Their venue is an excellent resource in not only promoting downtown but tourism as a whole. We are fortunate to have them in our community and honored to name them our 2016 Tourism Partner of the Year.”
        The recognition is well deserved for Eagle Creek Brewery. Operating a brewery in Georgia brings its own set of unique challenges. In the past year, legislation has been positive for the craft brewing industry as a whole. Senate Bill 63 is one that made needed changes that helps open opportunity for the industry.
        In fact, one of Eagle Creek’s top selling beers, “Georgia Tea Party,” pays homage to state legislators for coming to their aid. The beer is a sweet tea infused ale and the artwork on the cans includes brewers throwing craft beer into the Savannah River.
        “We are thrilled to be recognized for our partnership with the SCVB and this great community,” said Franklin Dismuke, owner of Eagle Creek Brewery. “Without the strong support from our local community and tourist alike attending our tours we could not survive. This, combined with strong sales in the Macon, Middle and North Georgia markets help us get even closer to seeing our goal of having a statewide presence. In addition, thanks to changes to the local alcohol ordinances we are working with the city to get permits which will allow us to host outdoor events. We hope to have our first major outdoor event on Saturday, July 23 to celebrate our third anniversary.”
        We are fortunate as a community to have a strong organization like the Convention and Visitors Bureau that helps keep us focused on tourism opportunities. With community partners like Dismuke, Van Tassell and others we should continue to see a bright future for tourism in the Boro.