Visit Dublin GA holding tourism week – visitors helped bring in $121.4 million in 2024

When it comes to tourism, there is a lot that visitors are doing to help our local economy.

Miriam Lewis, executive director of Visit Dublin GA, said the travel industry gathered $121.4 million in visitors spending, helped with 1,230 jobs and generated $9.1 million in state and local tax revenues for Laurens County in 2024. This was equivalent to $503 in tax savings for every households. 

“The more we offer here, the more we’ll make it a good place for people to live and visit,” she said. “Some of the projects we have worked on, like the selfie stations, are small things but it gives you a sense of place and belonging. Those are for our visitors but also those who live here. We want to save money on our taxes, but we also lean a lot on people who come through and visit. In tourism, we are always thinking of ways to enhance the visitor’s experience.” 

In 2025, 2.9 million visitors came to the area.  Visit Dublin GA had visitors from 26 states, Washington D.C. and 11 countries (9,538 people and 1,472 pets). 

Southern Pines is a big economic boom for the area. 

“We are working with the recreation department,” Lewis said. “Right now we are getting creative to bring people past the ballfield into Dublin to see if there’s an event going on or something like the Crawfish Festival  happening. There is always something going on. I go to travel conferences and talk with peers. They are very jealous with what we’ve got. It’s all of us working together.”

For the first time since 2018 or 2019, Explore Georgia, the state’s travel guide, mentioned Dublin-Laurens County.

“There has been a lot of push for the small towns to get into the spotlight a little bit because of the FIFA World Cup (in Atlanta) this year,” Lewis said. “I think Dublin received three mentions, and one was a full-page spread. That was huge. It’s a testament to what people want to experience. They want to experience the small towns. We might see the same buildings and eat at the same restaurants every day, but to a visitor it is something amazing.” 

For example, Dublin has unique restaurants  and the location where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his first speech at the First A.B. Church.

“We see those every day,” Lewis said. “Internationally, King’s first speech was a huge event.” 

This Sunday begins National Travel and Tourism Week, a celebration of tourism’s impact in communities and cities, Lewis said. The events will start with the America The Beautiful: Celebrating 250 Years, at 7 p.m. Sunday, in Theatre Dublin. Tickets for this free event are all gone, but people can gather to view it inside First Baptist Church, which is celebrating its 200th year, Lewis said.

On Monday, Visit Dublin GA will hold a hospitality “thank you” for hotel and restaurant workers only.

“They are the front line to people visiting or passing through Dublin,” Lewis said. “We wanted to thank our hospitality workers.” 

At 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, a ribbon cutting will be held at the visitor’s center. 

“We have over 10,000 visitors who stop in the tourism center every year,” Lewis said. “Everybody loves it and they notice things, but we love it when our locals come in. Some haven’t been here in 10 years, and we really want to show off all of the work we’ve been doing out there with projects.” 

Tourist Appreciation Day will be held Wednesday at the visitor center. They will offer snacks while supplies last. Then on what is being called Thankful Thursday, guests who stop into the center will receive a special Dublin gratitude journal, while supplies last.

The Good Info Expo will be held on Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Market on Madison.

“This will be our big community event,” Lewis said. “We’ve had people who have lived here two or three years and they ask how to get involved with an art group. We pulled together people in organizations that offer services to visitors and locals, too.” 

Then on Saturday, May 9, they will hold Bubbles, Balloons and Bouquets at the visitors center. Bubbles will fill the air, and people will be able to go to The Bloom Bar from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., where they can build their own bouquets.  Children will also receive free balloons while supplies last.

“It’s the day before Mother’s Day, so a lot of dads come out there and make their own bouquets and purchase them,” Lewis said.