Gov. Brian Kemp speaks at the Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference in Savannah on Friday, Sept. 26. (Contributed/Explore Georgia)
ATLANTA — Tourists and business travelers continued flocking to the Peach State last year, injecting billions into the economy, according to new state numbers from Gov. Brian Kemp.
A record 174.2 million traveled across the country and the globe to visit Georgia in 2024 and spent $45.2 billion, up 4% from the year before, he said in a statement issued by his office Friday.
The governor traveled to Savannah for a state tourism conference where he revealed the numbers. He credited Georgia’s cultural attractions, its communities and its scenery — from coasts to mountains — for a third record-breaking year in a row.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development said more than 17 million of the visitors were domestic travelers here for business and conventions. Their numbers were up nearly 5%, accounting for $4.6 billion in spending.
Tourism is the state’s second-largest economic contributor, according to the agency.
The influx — more than 15 times the state population of 11.2 million last year — bolstered the bottom lines of hotels, restaurants and recreation and transportation businesses.
Government also took a $5.1 billion cut, with Kemp saying the state and local tax revenues saved each household an average $1,285 in taxes.