Visit Milledgeville reports record tourism growth, previews hotel and workforce plans

Rebecca Snyder, executive director of Visit Milledgeville, told the City Council on Dec. 9 that tourism generated $86,500,000 for Baldwin County in 2024 and said the county’s hospitality industry employed about 904 people last year, producing roughly $21,000,000 in payroll.

Snyder presented the organization’s 2025 highlights and said the office expects more than 200 new hotel rooms to enter the market over the next three to five years, including a Home2Suites project that will add about 100 rooms. “We are stronger and more successful than ever before,” Snyder told the council.

The presentation quantified marketing returns and partnership activity: Visit Milledgeville reported spending $15,000 on media that it said generated about $4,000,000 in earned coverage, and noted a recent Hallmark Plus production and other media placements that raised the city’s profile. Snyder described grant incentives tied to hotel-night generation and said a conference the office supported produced nearly $3,000 in occupancy tax and $2,500 in sales tax locally while bringing more than $52,000 into the market overall.

On workforce development, Snyder said Visit Milledgeville has committed $30,000 to Georgia Military College’s new hospitality and tourism management program — $10,000 per year for three years — and added, “This is coming from the money we generate from the trolley,” not from the city’s general fund. The office also said it is launching sports-event recruitment efforts and an events-recruiter relationship to attract competitions and tournaments that drive weekend demand.

Snyder described a pilot to make EnChroma color-vision glasses available at several historic attractions to improve accessibility for visitors with color-vision deficiency. “Give the gift of sight and wonder this season,” she said, noting an educational video produced by the office.

The presentation closed with near-term items: a downtown hotel scouting visit planned for January and a bridal showcase to be launched in partnership with the Chamber in January. Snyder asked for continued city support as Visit Milledgeville pursues opportunities to expand visitation and visitor spending.