Gov. Kemp says Georgia Broke Tourism Records in 2022

Last week, Governor Brian P. Kemp, in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, announced that calendar year 2022 was record-breaking for the state’s tourism industry, welcoming the largest number of visitors the state has ever seen. 

While attending the Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference on Jekyll Island, Kemp shared that 167.7 million domestic and international visitors in 2022 brought in $39.8 billion in spending, surpassing the previous record set in 2019 by $2 billion. 

Total economic impact for Georgia travel and tourism reached $73 billion in 2022 – a 13 percent year-over-year increase. Travel demand supported more than 442,600 jobs across the state, an increase of more than 20,000 jobs between 2021 and 2022.

Kemp stated, “Thanks to Georgia’s incredible natural wonders, our great small towns with welcoming families, our major cities and attractions, and much more, our tourism industry continues to reach new heights…I applaud the hardworking men and women who work in this industry, Explore Georgia, and the Department of Economic Development who made these record-breaking numbers possible.”

For the third year in a row, Georgia maintained its No. 5 market share ranking for domestic overnight visitation among all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The tourism industry also generated a record $4.7 billion in state and local tax revenue, a 10.1 percent increase over the previous record year of 2021.