With more than 500 cities across 59,000 square miles, Georgia has plenty to offer for business and leisure. In fact, companies and decision makers are choosing Georgia for their next facilities, meetings, and homes, because life has flavor in the Peach State.

Learn more about three ways business and leisure team up to create opportunities for Georgia.

1. Georgia sports surpass goals, building momentum to 2026. 
   Not only will the state host a total of eight FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches, including a Semifinal, the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center is set to open its doors in 2026. The 200-acre training center and headquarters will serve all 27 U.S. Soccer National Teams, including Senior Women’s and Men’s, Youth, and Extended National Teams. 

The opening match of the 2024 SheBelieves Cup set a record with 50,644 attendees.
Image Credit: Atlanta United

Soccer is on the rise in Georgia, going back to the debut of Atlanta United and the opening of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2017. History keeps being made at the stadium – in April 2024, the opening match of the 2024 SheBelieves Cup set an attendance record for a home friendly in the history of U.S. women’s soccer. Atlanta United subsequently announced a $23 million, 20,000-square-foot expansion of its training ground in Marietta.

And soccer isn’t the only competitive sport drawing international attention in Georgia. 

The world-renowned Masters golf tournament in Augusta draws 200,000 attendees from around the globe over just two weeks. In west Georgia, RushSouth Whitewater Park in Uptown Columbus hosted 200 world-class athletes representing 18 countries for the 2023 ICF Kayak Freestyle World Championships. LakePoint Sports in Cartersville attracts 3 million visitors annually to the northwest corner of the state – enough visitors to fill a city the size of Toronto, Canada, or Chicago, Illinois.

Looking ahead, a new research study from Future Partners shows that nearly 30% of meeting planners are likely to choose Georgia for their sporting events in the next five years, further solidifying the state’s appeal as a sports destination.

2. Entertainment catalyzes growth.
   Landmark Georgia venues such as The Fox Theatre, State Farm Arena, The Battery Atlanta, and Gas South District host a rotating assortment of music, entertainment, and culture offerings, including hit musicals, star-studded concerts, and engaging events for all ages.

A 2022 report found that 77% of out-of-state attendees that were surveyed were visiting Georgia to attend a performance, event, exhibit, venue, or facility. These venues and facilities add variety for locals and become economic engines for their community, including the Grand Opera House in Macon, Lucas Theatre for the Arts in Savannah, and the Springer Opera House in Columbus.

According to the Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s (GWCCA) 2023 Annual Report, the Georgia World Congress Center, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and Centennial Olympic Park supported over 16,000 jobs and generated $580.6 million in labor income.

In 2023, the Atlanta Braves released an overview of the economic impact of the new home of the Braves, Truist Park, and the attached entertainment district, The Battery Atlanta.
Image Credit: The Atlanta Braves

And other amphitheaters and outdoor spaces are contributing to communities around the state, with plans underway to further capitalize on the community building and economic benefits of these spaces. Construction is expected to begin on Augusta’s new James Brown Arena this summer, a redevelopment project that will reinvigorate the city’s entertainment and event-hosting scene. In Macon, the music ecosystem’s total output generated $134.5 million and added a total value of $88.8 million, supporting the city’s decision to invest in new spaces such as the Atrium Health Amphitheater.

3. Conventions mean business.
   Professional meetings and conventions, such as those held at the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) and Savannah Convention Center, attracted 6.6 million domestic overnight visitors and drove nearly $3 billion in travel spending in 2022. That business travel contributed to a record-breaking year for Georgia’s tourism industry.

The same GWCCA report showed the GWCCA accounted for $970.4 million in economic impact, with 60% of visitors coming from out of state.

“By working with partners to attract more conventions across the state, we ultimately attract more business travelers who stay in area hotels, dine at nearby restaurants, shop at local businesses, and recommend Georgia to their friends,” shared Jay Markwalter, Statewide Tourism Director at the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

The new Classic Center Arena, scheduled to open in summer 2024, is expected to create more than 600 new jobs.
Image Credit: The Classic Center

When people attend meetings and conferences at The Classic Center in Athens, they’re just steps away from downtown restaurants, shops, and hotels. The Classic Center hosts more than 700 events annually, adding 80,000 room nights to local hotels and an estimated $46 million of economic impact to Athens-Clarke County.

Why just visit when you can stay a while?

In 2022, Georgia welcomed a record 167.7 million domestic and international visitors, which drove nearly $40 billion in travel spending. The impact of that visitation generated $73 billion in total economic impact and supported more than 442,600 jobs – enough to buy over 500 Delta 737 planes and employ nearly every resident in the city of Atlanta.

And as the state continues to attract new investments in headquarters, technology, and other jobs of the future with the workforce and solutions they need to grow, some of those visitors may become residents. Whether their first Georgia experience was an Atlanta United match, watching the Masters on-screen or on the course, being entertained by the Savannah Bananas, or attending any number of events across the state, someone’s next visit could be their next step to finding a new home.

Curious about what Georgia has to offer? Flip through the 2024 Georgia Official State Travel Guide or visit www.georgia.org/WhyGA to learn more about why Georgia should be on your mind.