In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the feeling of resilience, strength and true community can be felt from all corners of Lowndes County. 

While we could have never anticipated another major hurricane impacting Valdosta for the second time in the last year, we have come together as a community to demonstrate what it means to be neighbors. While many local businesses are working to re-build and recover from the financial strain that comes along with a significant weather event, tourism has the power to provide additional support. With our destinations back up and welcoming guests, the economic impact that they provide can be a window of opportunity for us all. 

Just before Hurricane Helene, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp shared details about the impact of tourism at the annual Governor’s Tourism Conference. In Lowndes County in 2023, tourism was the fifth largest economic driver. Year over year, visitor spending increased by almost 9% in our community, totaling a whopping $422.3M. Tourism supports 7.3% of local jobs — that’s 5,447 people. Visitors generated $35.2M in state and local tax revenue, equivalent to $805 in tax savings for every household in our county. Since 2016, visitor spending in Lowndes County has experienced promising growth – with almost a 40% increase. 

Looking at the numbers in more detail, the 8.9% increase in total visitor spending includes a 14.3% increase in recreation spending, 12.6% increase in lodging sales, 10.6% increase in transportation spending, 7.9% increase in food and beverage sales and 6.1% increase in retail sales. All of this economic growth for our county was generated by outside visitor dollars. These numbers prove that an investment in tourism offers a significant return for destinations across Valdosta-Lowndes County. 

We are proud of the work we do at Visit Valdosta and we look forward to welcoming even more visitors to support the businesses that make our home the welcoming town that it is. Invite your friends and family to come visit – spend a day at Wild Adventures Theme Park, take an art class at the Turner Center for the Arts, enjoy delicious meals at local restaurants, spend time shopping and strolling through great parks, and check out festive family-friendly events around the holidays. The more we share our home with others, the greater the return on our community. 

David DiSalvo is president and CEO of Visit Valdosta. Contact him at ddisalvo@visitvaldostaga.com.