Georgia Tourism awards funding to 11 projects

ATLANTA — Two Southwest Georgia communities are among 11 cities, counties and authorities that were awarded grants Monday by the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Tourism Division.

Cuthbert received a grant to help with its Fletcher Henderson Home Restoration Project. The hometown of President Carter received its grant to help with the Plains Wayfinding project.

In all, GDEcD awarded more than $43,175 in product development grants to the 11 tourism projects across the state.

“The success of Georgia’s tourism industry relies on the creation of new tourism product and the resource team grant helps to activate new and unique developments based on a community’s local culture and heritage,” Kevin Langston, GDEcD deputy commissioner for tourism, said. “Tourism touches every community in Georgia by spurring job creation, attracting investment and providing residents with an improved quality of life.”

Georgia Tourism officials say they offer the grants to communities who participated in the department’s Tourism Product Development Resource Team program to build product outlined in the resource team’s reports. The program works to evaluate a community’s potential for tourism growth and development through innovative and unique experiences based on a community’s culture and heritage.

“One of the greatest needs in creating new tourism product is funding,” Cindy Eidson, GDEcD director of Tourism Product Development, said. “By assisting these projects financially we have the opportunity to support the implantation of new product and programs to bring more visitors to a community.”

The funding program allows the communities served to build new product from the recommendations made by the team members or supports projects the community has developed as an expansion of the resource team’s recommendations. Other recipients of 2018 grants include:

• Marion County, Outsider Odyssey Loop;

• Bartow County government, George Washington Carver Park Improvement Project;

• City of Toccoa, Downtown Historic Toccoa Depot Viewing Platform;

• Eatonton Putnam Downtown Development Authority, Briar Patch Pocket Parks: Phase 2;

• Kingsland Downtown Development Authority, Kingsland Historic Downtown Clock & Carillon Restoration;

• Development Authority of McDuffie County, Thomson Mural Project;

• Washington County Board of Commissioners, Kaolin Festival Directional Banners;

• Glynn County Board of Commissioners, Historical Harrington School Interpretation Materials Project;

• City of Clarkesville, The Old Clarkesville Cemetery Master Planning Project Phase 2.

The Georgia Tourism review panel consists of members from the public and private sector as well as fellow professionals who are experienced in the tourism industry or the type of grant being reviewed.