NORTHWEST ’S Janet Cochran HISTORIC HIGH COUNTRY Tourism Regional Project Manger TRAVEL REGION GA Dept. of Economic Development 706-516-0287 office 404-276-9142 cell APRIL 2013 REPORT [email protected]

NEWS FROM THE OFFICE: GEORGIA TOURISM MARKETING 101 April 18th, 2013 3-4 p.m. EST Why should I use the State Sanctioned Co-op program? How do I define my advertising and marketing strategies? What are current tourism media trends? Should I use traditional print or digital ads, outdoor billboards, or radio? Get answers to your questions and more during Georgia Tourism Marketing 101 to be held on April 18th at 3 p.m.. Sign up here for the free webinar: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/270832744?utm_source=Resend- 13TOUR037_Marketing+101&utm_campaign=Marketing101&utm_medium=email Or, attend in person. There are limited in-person spaces, so hurry and R.S.V.P. to [email protected]. Class will be held at 75 5th Street, NW Suite 800 Atlanta, GA 30308. If you have questions, please contact Haley Hunt at [email protected] or 404.962.4114.

FILM DIVISION LAUNCHES WWW.COMETOURGEORGIA.COM - To attract visitors interested in Georgia’s entertainment industry, the Georgia Film, Music & Digital Entertainment Office launched a brand new website, www.ComeTourGeorgia.com. The new interactive website promotes Georgia’s film and music history, film tours, Georgia-filmed productions, film locations, destinations, festivals and other events.

TRAVEL MEDIA MARKETPLACE MAY 16-18, 2013 - Georgia’s Lake County – Eatonton, Greensboro, Madison & Milledgeville. On the shores of Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair, up to 30 travel writers from the and Canada will explore Eatonton, Greensboro, Madison and Milledgeville followed by fam tours to other parts of Georgia. Travel writers will also have the opportunity to meet with representatives from the Regional Travel Associations around the state during the marketplace to learn about the state’s tourism destinations, attractions and events.

SAVE THE DATE - HERITAGE AND CULTURAL TOURISM SEMINAR SERIES - GDEcD is excited about bringing back our Heritage and Cultural Tourism Seminar series this year after eight years. Travelers are seeking new experiences; therefore, cultural attractions need to focus on what makes their site, area, or region unique; Forming partnerships and alliances with other cultural attractions, organizations, or businesses in the area or region leverages resources while enhancing the visitor's experience. A creative collaborative approach to attract tourists is to link natural, historical, and/or cultural resources in an area or region together using specific themes. Registration fee is $99. Registration link coming soon! May 2 & 3 — Eatonton/Milledgeville * June 4 & 5 — Hinesville/Liberty Co. Fall 2013 — TBA * 2014 — TBA

REMINDER - DATA PULL FOR 2014 GEORGIA TRAVEL GUIDE IS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 15th – between now and then, update your listings on exploregeorgia.org. NOTE: the Summary section is what will be used when considering your listing for publication in the printed travel guide. Contact Vickie Sanders [email protected] if you have questions.

TO SIGN-UP FOR THE BI-MONTHLY “PEACHBYTE” newsletter which gives you all the latest Georgia Tourism News, send an email to [email protected]

www.exploregeorgia.org NW GA Historic High Country Regional Tourism Project Manager Monthly Report Apr 2013 Page 1 of 4 PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MARKETING FREE WEBINAR – April 17, 2:00pm - The most effective social media marketing is free. Do small things that delight your customers, and you'll create an army of enthusiastic online marketers, says HARO founder Peter Shankman. http://prsoftware.vocus.com/PeterShankman?source=SM Register today to make customers happier, get them talking and turn them into evangelists for your brand. What's not to love? On April 17th at 2:00 PM ET, you'll learn: •Easy ways to make customers and prospects feel special •Real-life examples from brands like Zappos, Pepsi and Amex •Five things you can do right now to be nice and finish first!

HOW TO USE RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP TO SAVE YOUR SMALL TOWN http://ruraltourismmarketing.com/2013/03/how-to-use-rural-entrepreneurship-to-save-your-small-town/

THE GEORGIA GOLF TRAIL LAUNCHES APRIL 1, 2013 - Georgia Golf & Travel LLC is pleased to announce the official launch of The Georgia Golf Trail, a collaboration of the state’s top resorts and golf clubs, presenting the Peach State as a premier golf haven. Georgia Golf & Travel, a leading-edge golf marketing company in Atlanta, is working with the State of Georgia Tourism office (marketing assistance), as well as the top golf resort destinations statewide in an effort to increase travel throughout Georgia by marketing the state as one of the leading golf destinations in the world. Georgia Golf & Travel’s marketing programs will focus on attracting the traveling golfer and large industry groups, both domestic and worldwide, to Georgia with its world class golf courses and accommodations. For more information please contact Doug Hollandsworth, [email protected] www.georgiagolfandtravel.com 770-266-0331

“ALONG THE TRAILS” – GET YOUR CIVIL WAR ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA CIVIL WAR HERITAGE TRAILS, INC. NEWSLETTER – Communities are invited to submit articles and photos to GCWHT, Inc. for publication in its monthly e-newsletter to subscriber list of 2500+ persons. This is an opportunity to get in front of people interested in receiving news the Civil War heritage in Georgia at no cost other than your time. To get all the details, please contact Steve Longcrier at [email protected].

NW GA HISTORIC HIGH COUNTRY REGIONAL NEWS $1.66 MILLION IN TRAIL GRANTS AWARDED FOR RECREATION IN GEORGIA - The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced the award of $1.66 million in new grants for trails around the state. The selected projects will provide the public more great places for walking, running, riding, and paddling. New grant recipients in the High Country region are listed below, followed by a description of each project:

 City of Canton, Heritage and Boling Connector Trail: This recommended grant of $100,000 will be used for a project to connect two of the City’s largest parks, and provide scenic views of the .  City of Carrollton, Greenbelt—Spur to Elementary School: This is the second year in a row that Carrollton has competed successfully for a trail grant. The new grant of $100,000 will assist with the Greenbelt’s spur to the City Elementary School.  City of Euharlee, Village Historic Trail Phase II: The City’s unique village environment is, for the second time, the recipient of a trail grant for a multi-phase recreation project. DNR’s recommended grant of $100,000 will assist with the construction of about a mile-and-a-half of new trail.  Town of Lyerly, Lower Canoe/Kayak Trail: According to the Basin Initiative, the Chattooga River was once heavily polluted, but is now recovered and an inviting place for paddling. DNR’s recommended grant of $99,700 will assist the Town with enhancing existing launch points and constructing an entirely new river trailhead.  City of Ringgold, : The City reports that its proposed trail will provide connections to the city park, the historic location of the 1838 Trail of Tears, and the Blueway Trail along South Chickamauga Creek. DNR has recommended a grant of $100,000 for the project.

www.exploregeorgia.org NW GA Historic High Country Regional Tourism Project Manager Monthly Report Apr 2013 Page 2 of 4  City of Summerville, Willow Springs Trail: A recommended grant of $100,000 will assist with the development of a trail that will connect two of the City’s most historic resources—Willow Springs Park and the Summerville Depot.  US Forest Service, Houston Valley and Cohutta Motorized Trails: These trails near Dalton and Chatsworth provide rugged terrain for off-road motorcycle and all-terrain-vehicle riders. A recommended grant of $78,900 will assist in the periodic heavy maintenance that is required re-shape the trails and remove fallen trees, among other things.

THE DIXIE HIGHWAY 90-MILE YARD SALE HAS BEEN CHOSEN NO.3 IN “READER’S FAVORITES MILES-LONG YARD SALES” in the current edition of Flea Market Style magazine. The local sale ranked behind 127 Corridor World’s Longest Yard Sale and the annual Peaches to the Beaches Yard Sale. These top three of twenty sales honored by readers are all held entirely in, or pass through, Georgia. Set for June 7-9, 2013, sales will take place in Ringgold, Tunnel Hill, Rocky Face, Dalton, Resaca, Calhoun, Adairsville, Cassville, Cartersville, Emerson, Acworth, and Kennesaw. Yard sale hours vary but most sales are open daily from 7 a.m. to dusk. See www.facebook.com/dixiehighway90mileyardsale for route maps, yard sale spaces for rent and to scope out what’s for sale.

THE GEORGIA PINHOTI TRAIL ANNUAL MEETING – April 20, 2:00-4:00pm at the Dalton Freight Depot, 305 South Depot St. Dalton GA. Stakeholders and interested individuals are invited to meet the board and hear some updates on the Pinhoti Trail. At the Saturday afternoon meeting the board members will be talking about the history of the Pinhoti, it linkage to other systems, experiences of a business on the route, and our approach to user engagement. The site visits and stakeholder meeting are all open to anyone that would like to attend.

BON APPETITE/ - The Appalachian Regional Commission and American Heritage Publishing are collaborating on the production of a tourist-oriented "map guide" designed to boost tourism to Appalachia by showcasing its food-heritage and agritourism attractions. Sites to be featured on the map guide will include local farms, farmers markets, farm-to-table restaurants, and other distinctive food-related destinations. The map guide will be available as a free insert in the Spring 2014 issue of American Heritage magazine. Site nominations are now being accepted at www.appfoodguide.com. All nominated sites must be located in the Appalachian Region, be open to visitors and represent a local food experience for travelers. Deadline for submission is May 15.

COMMUNITY FOOD SURVEY (not the same as Bon Appetite/Appalachia) - In partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission, a federal-state-local partnership, and the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, the Regional Commission and three other Regional Commissions across are participating in an Assessment of Local Food Systems. Local input is needed to show how strong the demand is for locally grown fruits, vegetables, poultry, and meats. The Community Food Survey is now available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RX6TNYC. Everyone in North Georgia is encouraged to take the survey, and to share with their friends and family. Also, a paper copy may be obtained by contacting the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission, www.nwgrc.org, at (706) 295-6485, or [email protected].

NEXT HISTORIC HIGH COUNTRY TRAVEL ASSOCIATION MEETING – Wednesday, June 12, 2013 – 10:30am – Booth Museum, Cartersville

CONFERENCES, SEMINARS, GRANTS AND OTHER INFO CONFERENCES: Georgia Historic Preservation Conference – April 26-27, 2013 – Milledgeville www.georgiashpo.org/conferences

Save the Date - GA Heritage and Cultural Tourism Seminar Series – May 2 & 3 — Eatonton/Milledgeville * June 4 & 5 — Hinesville/Liberty Co. * Fall 2013 — TBA * 2014 — TBA. Registration info coming soon!

www.exploregeorgia.org NW GA Historic High Country Regional Tourism Project Manager Monthly Report Apr 2013 Page 3 of 4 GRANTS: (***This is just a sampling of the Grants offered at http://www.georgia.org/industries/Tourism/Pages/tourism-grants.aspx. Be certain to check out all that is available!!!) NEW GDEcD TOURISM PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT FUNDS will be announced in July/August; application deadline in Sept; awards made in October. It’s not too early for you to start working on project ideas! For guides, visit www.MarketGeorgia.org and click on Grants.

OTHER: CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: 2014 Places in Peril - Postmark Deadline: June 3, 2013 The Georgia Trust needs your help! Do you know of a special irreplaceable historic building or site that is highly threatened by demolition, neglect, inappropriate development or other threats? If so, this is your opportunity to help save it. The Georgia Trust's Places in Peril program seeks to identify historic sites threatened by demolition, neglect, lack of maintenance, inappropriate development or other threats. Nominations forms are available at www.georgiatrust.org or contact Kate Ryan at 404-885-7817 or [email protected].

The Garden Club of Georgia is underway with a statewide historic garden and landscape survey that ultimately will lead to a new book featuring Georgia’s historic gardens. The first one was done in 1933 and was updated years later. Since 2002, an effort has been made to record and update all of the state’s historic gardens and landscapes. If you know of a little known or “vanished” or forgotten historic landscape in your region please contact Staci Catron at the Atlanta History Center at 404-814-4046 or [email protected]. Many volunteers are working across Georgia to make sure as many gardens and landscapes as possible are being recorded and included. Click on this link to see the surveys tallied to date: http://ahc.galileo.usg.edu/ahc/view?docId=ead/ahc.MSS1007-ead.xml;query=georgia

COMING UP…. Apr 18 Georgia Tourism Marketing 101, Atlanta (or conference call-in) Apr 19 Tourism RTA Co-Op Showcase, Atlanta, GA Apr 20 Pinhoti Trail Meeting, Dalton, GA Apr 26-27 Georgia Historic Preservation Conference, Milledgeville, GA May 2-3 GA Heritage and Cultural Tourism Seminar, Eatonton/Milledgeville, GA May 15 Deadline to submit entries for the Appalachian Food Guide (Bon Appetite/Appalachia) May 16-18 Travel Media Marketplace, Georgia’s Lake Country (post fams May 18-21) Jun 4-5 GA Heritage and Cultural Tourism Seminar, Hinesville/Liberty Co

www.exploregeorgia.org NW GA Historic High Country Regional Tourism Project Manager Monthly Report Apr 2013 Page 4 of 4