“Be a Tourist” in Your Hometown During National Tourism Week

Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau (GRCVB) invites locals to “Be a Tourist” in your hometown during National Travel & Tourism Week, May 1-7, 2016. The week will celebrate several facets of tourism from the front-line workers in the hospitality and service industry to opportunities for locals to gain the full visitor experience by becoming tourists in their own town.

“The nationwide week of events serves to promote the power of the tourism industry,” said Lisa Smith, GRCVB Executive Director. “Tourism is an engine for economic development and adds to the quality of life in Georgia’s Rome.”

Several activities are planned for National Travel & Tourism Week and include the following:

• Sunday, May 1, Sulzbacher Roman Holiday Tour– Tour Rome’s rivers on The Rolling on the River Sunday Cruise on the Sulzbacher Roman Holiday with Captain Dennis Nordeman. The river history themed tour will include highlights of Rome’s river, Native American, and Civil War history. The tour departs at 2 p.m. from the Heritage Park boat dock. The tour is limited to 42 passengers and reservations must be made in advance. All children 13 and under must wear a life jacket at all times. Devices will be provided for participants 30 pounds and up. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children and may be purchased at RomeGeorgia.org/RomanHoliday or at the Rome – Floyd Visitor Center.

• May 2 – May 5, Superstars of Service – The GRCVB will surprise winners with on-site presentations of “Superstar of Service” customer service awards at their respective places of business. Awards recognize those who consistently display the southern hospitality that makes the Rome-Floyd community attractive to visitors.
• Tuesday, May 3, Georgia’s Rome Photo & Video Contest Winners Reception – The reception will recognize and award winners of Georgia’s Rome 2016 Photo and Video Contest. The winning entries will be displayed at the Last Stop Gift Shop located at 402 Civic Center Drive. The reception will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

• Wednesday, May 4, Rome Braves – Catch one of Rome’s most popular attractions and summer traditions, the Rome Braves! The game against the Hickory Crawdads will begin at 7 p.m.

• Friday, May 6, Go Downtown – Enjoy a night out on the town with shopping, dining, live music and live theater in Downtown Rome. Try the new pedicab bike taxi service for a relaxing ride downtown; offered in the central business district of Downtown Rome.

• Saturday, May 7, Downtown Rome Guided Tour– Tour guide, Jim Belzer will host a guided downtown tour focused on Rome’s Civil War history. The tour lasts about 90 minutes and departs at 10 a.m. from the Downtown Welcome Center located at 301 W. 1st Street, behind the Rome Area History Museum. Tours are limited to the first 12 people. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 11 and under and may be purchased at RomeGeorgia.org/Tour or at the Rome – Floyd Visitor Center.

• Saturday, May 7, Clocktower Tour– May 7 & 8 is the public’s last opportunity to tour the Clocktower before it closes for renovations! The Clocktower will be open for extended hours on Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Rome Area Heritage Foundation will be on-site to accept donations for Clocktower renovation work which will begin soon.

• Saturday, May 7, Georgia’s Rome Challenge Tours – Download the free Georgia’s Rome app to explore Rome through a series of fun challenges. Each challenge contains clues to questions you’ll answer as you are guided through the streets of Downtown Rome. Visit RomeGeorgia.org/apps to download the free app.

Locals are encouraged to participate in all National Travel and Tourism Week activities. “Rome’s visitor and welcome centers allow the tourism office to come in contact with many residents who aren’t aware of the various attractions, events and activities that Georgia’s Rome offers,” said Charlene Mathis, Visitor Center Manger. “We challenge you to see Rome through the eyes of a tourist with these fun activities.”

According to reports from the U.S. Travel Association, tourists spent $138.7 million in Floyd County during 2014, the most recent year that results are available. Additionally the tourism industry supported 1,262 jobs throughout the service and hospitality industries.  Travelers to Rome and Floyd County generated $4.97 million in state tax revenue and $4.09 million in local tax revenue.  Each Floyd county household received $224 in tax relief per household as a result of taxes generated by tourism economic activity.

The GRCVB is the official destination and sports marketing organization of Rome and Floyd County, Ga. The GRCVB’s mission is to strengthen the economic prosperity of the community through tourism development by attracting leisure travelers, conventions, meetings, sports and events.

For more information about National Travel & Tourism Week, visit USTravel.org. To learn more about tourism week events in Rome and Floyd County, call 706.295.5576 or visit RomeGeorgia.org.

About the Author

Our Georgia's Rome tourism team works hard to curate content to help you discover and explore our beautiful town! We want to ensure our content is up-to-date and accurate; so please let us know if we ever overlook an important detail! This post was originally written by Kristi Kent and is updated by staff.