The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) has awarded $119,984 in tourism product development grants to 12 tourism entities across the state. The Tourism Division, through the new Tourism Product Development Grant program, seeks to financially support tourism development activities at the local level in both urban and rural areas.

The Office of Product Development received 29 applications for the 2011 Tourism Product Development grant program, amounting to more than $497,000 in requests.

Recipients of the 2011 Tourism Product Development Grants include:

City of Calhoun Downtown Development Authority - Calhoun's GEM Theatre Interior Restoration

Sparta-Hancock County Development Authority - Glen Mary Plantation (1848) Restoration

Nashville Downtown Development Authority - Nashville Downtown Center

Gainesville and Hall County Development Authority - North Georgia Canopy Tours

Miller County Development Authority - MSM Meats and Country Store

Development Authority of the City of Milledgeville and Baldwin County - Brown-Stetson-Sanford House Improvements

City of Louisville - Georgia Civil War Heritage Trails

White County Development Authority - Sautee-Nacoochee African American Heritage Site

Washington County Board of Commissioners - Renovation of Genealogy Research Center and Old Jail Museum

Augusta Canal Authority - Confederate Powderworks "DigiTrail" for Smartphones

City of Vidalia - Vidalia Onion Museum Final Stages

City of Jonesboro - Stately Oaks Plantation House Stabilization and Rehabilitation

“We are very excited about the opportunity to provide assistance to our communities as they develop new tourism product in Georgia,” said Bruce Green, Tourism Product Development Director with for the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “The awarded projects all have an emphasis on job creation and will collectively generate more than 260 jobs.”

The Georgia Tourism Division’s Product Development Office assists local governments, communities, clients and other stakeholders in developing new tourism destinations and attractions in Georgia, while encouraging private sector and community leadership to partner on creating jobs and investments in the state. The product development director and two project managers work to complement and improve Georgia’s existing tourism assets in order to create jobs and tourism investment in the state.