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The Clayton County Convention & Visitors Bureau and Tourism Authority invite you to join us in celebrating National Travel & Tourism Week, May 1-7.
Notwithstanding the major setbacks that the Tourism and Hospitality Industries worldwide experienced as a result of the pandemic, I think you will be pleased with Clayton County’s recovery, which is moving at a much faster pace. Highlights over the past year are:
Despite an industry-wide decline, Clayton County hotels experienced a return in guest overnight stays and an average daily rate increase from $62.02 per night to $80.64 in 2021, nearly $20 more per night over pre-pandemic times.
Clayton County ranked 8th in the state for visitor spending with an economic impact for the county of $467.1 million dollars. This revenue total includes lodging, food and beverage, recreation, retail, and transportation spent in Clayton County, Georgia, exclusive of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
As a result of the passage of House Bill 317, legislation which redefined “innkeeper” and now includes online lodging platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo in hotel/motel tax collections, Clayton County collected an additional $155,000.00 in hotel/motel tax collections in the first 6 months of enaction of HB317. Hotel/Motel tax collections excluding short-term rental platforms totaled $829,991.04 for the new fiscal period beginning July 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021. This totals nearly $1 million dollars in Clayton County hotel/motel tax revenue collected in a 6-month period.
A new CVB team, along with the support of the Tourism Authority Board, recognized that our domestic visitors and those around the world needed to “See Clayton County” as the growing, vibrant, diverse community it represents. A brand-new website and social media were launched that incorporate all of these attributes. This brand now more accurately represents and reflects our Clayton County community, and now includes information on our diverse and growing international dining scene.
Additionally, with the guidance of the editors at Atlanta Magazine, the CVB completely redesigned the Clayton County Visitors Guide, distributed to 70 state and regional Visitors Centers throughout Georgia. The new guide pivoted from its previous focus from the past 20 years on the Road to Tara Museum to all of Clayton County’s entertainment options and attractions.
The Clayton County Tourism Authority, comprised of both devoted, passionate newly appointed and long-time members–all residents of Clayton County–developed a new grant program in 2021 to support Clayton County attractions in their marketing efforts to appeal to visitors. The first round of grant recipients in 2021 included:
– Clayton County Water Authority/Newman Wetlands Center
– Georgia Archives
– Arts Clayton
Each grant recipient developed proposals that included the Tourism Authority’s areas of focus:
· African American History and Culture
· Diversity and Inclusion
· County Local and International Culinary Scene
· Independent Film Festivals
As travel begins to resume, Clayton County is on track to realize hotel/motel tax revenue that rivals pre-pandemic years. The Clayton County Convention & Visitors Bureau and Clayton County Tourism Authority, as well as its Visitors Center and Road to Tara Museum, are poised to warmly welcome visitors back to Clayton County, Georgia, in 2022.
