Greetings,

If you've been out and about on fall weekends, you may have noticed more fans sporting the colors of teams visiting Auburn. With Auburn just down the road, Columbus is a natural home base for visiting football fans, and our new blog makes it even easier for them to find us by highlighting where to stay, eat, and explore game weekends. It has been a month of meaningful momentum for VisitColumbusGA, and I'm excited to share a few more highlights.

Our recent Braves activation gave us the chance to put Columbus in front of thousands of fans from across the Southeast. Events like this let us meet travelers where they already are, spark curiosity about everything our destination offers, and turn a great day at the ballpark into a reason to plan a trip to Columbus.

I'm also thrilled to welcome LaTivia Rivers back to the VisitColumbusGA family as our Partner and Community Engagement Specialist in a part-time role. LaTivia brings deep knowledge of our destination and strong relationships with our partners, and we're fortunate to have her back on the team as we build on this momentum.

Speaking of our team, I'm proud to share some well-deserved recognition. Tonja Ray-Smith has been selected for the Leadership Columbus class, and Carrie Beth Wallace, our contracted social media manager, has been named one of Columbus and the Valley's Top 5 Under 40. These honors reflect the talent, dedication, and community spirit that Tonja and Carrie Beth bring to our work every day, and I couldn't be prouder to celebrate them.

Perhaps our biggest news: Columbus has been selected to host the 2027 Georgia Governor's Tourism Conference. This win is a testament to the collaboration between our team, our hotel and venue partners, and our community leaders. Hosting the state's top tourism professionals is an opportunity to showcase Columbus on a statewide stage, and we look forward to welcoming them in 2027.

Finally, the latest August STR report offered encouraging news, with occupancy up 2.5%, ADR up 4.4%, RevPar up 7.0%, and demand up 2.0 % compared to last year. These results reflect the hard work of our partners and reinforce that our efforts to drive visitation are paying off. Please dive into our most recent monthly report below!

Thank you for your continued partnership as we keep advancing Columbus and creating lasting value for our community.

VisitColumbusGA interacted with fans before the Atlanta Braves took on the Cincinnati Reds at Truist Park. Fans who engaged with us entered to win a grand prize of a free vacation to Columbus or a runner-up prize of a Braves jersey. This was our first event in partnership with the Atlanta Braves. Strategic partnerships and events like this create opportunities for VisitColumbusGA to grow our audience organically and invite potential travelers to Columbus.

VisitColumbusGA at Georgia Governor's Tourism Conference

VisitColumbusGA was well-represented at the 65th annual Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference. Explore Georgia hosted the three-day conference at the Jekyll Island Convention Center. Tourism professionals from across the state gathered to network with one another, brainstorm adaptability tactics to address changing travel habits, and discuss the economic impact of tourism with state lawmakers from Georgia’s House and Senate committees.

According to Explore Georgia data from 2025, tourism made $84.1 billion in economic impact in Georgia. That includes $46.2 billion in visitor spending by 175.6 million visitors, generating $5.3 billion in state and local taxes. In 2025, tourism supported 473,837 jobs in Georgia.

VisitColumbusGA President and CEO Ashley Woitena, Director of Sales Tonja Ray-Smith, and Director of Marketing and Communications Danielle Ackerman attended the conference (pictured above). Ashley Woitena, president and CEO of VisitColumbusGA, moderated a panel featuring “Georgia Tourism’s Rising Stars” (pictured below).

Director of Marketing and Communications Danielle Ackerman spoke on a panel titled "Hidden in Plain Sight: Transforming Everyday Assets into Must-Do Experiences.” The panel, including representatives from Macon and Butts County, discussed how destinations can identify assets that resonate with pop culture and create experiences around them. 

On the final day of the conference, IHG Hotels and Resorts, 365 Degree Total Marketing, and VisitColumbusGA sponsored the Governor’s Luncheon. During the luncheon, outgoing Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp delivered the final keynote before closing remarks. VisitColumbusGA proudly announced Columbus as the host city for the 2027 Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference.

Georgia tourism leaders including our team left the conference with insights into changing travel habits, methods to attract visitors, and excitement for next year’s tourism conference.

Deputy Commissioner of Tourism for the Georgia Department of Economic Development Jay Markwalter (left), and VisitColumbusGA President and CEO, Ashley Woitena, announcing Columbus as 2027 host city.

Our team recently expanded by two talented people, and we’d like to introduce them.

Gyanna Blackmon (pictured left) brings experience in local government, communications, and community engagement to her role as Sales Administrator. With a natural ability to connect with people and a strong background in coordination and administrative support, she helps keep the sales team organized and client needs moving forward. A Columbus native, Gyanna enjoys connecting with the community and being part of a team dedicated to welcoming others to the city she calls home.

With a lifelong career in tourism that began in 1996 with the Columbus Convention & Visitors Bureau, LaTivia Rivers (pictured right) brings nearly three decades of experience in destination marketing, visitor services, and community engagement to her new role as Community & Partner Engagement Specialist. Her previous work with the Georgia Visitor Information Center in Columbus gave her a deep appreciation for Georgia’s welcome centers as the state’s “front porch” and the important role they play in creating memorable first impressions for visitors. Her passion for hospitality, partnership development, and promoting the state has remained at the heart of her work.

After 10 years serving travelers at the Georgia Welcome Center, LaTivia is excited to bring her experience, relationships, and passion for tourism back to VisitColumbusGA, helping promote Columbus as a destination and create meaningful connections between visitors, the community, and local tourism partners.

Whether assisting travelers, developing partnerships, promoting local experiences, or supporting tourism initiatives, LaTivia is committed to one goal: helping people discover Columbus, enjoy Georgia, and leave with a reason to come back.

VisitColumbusGA recently won business and welcomed new groups. We look forward to hosting the 2027 Georgia Library Media Association Summer Institute. This conference will bring Georgia’s school library media specialists and education professionals to Columbus for professional development, networking, and collaboration.

In September, Columbus welcomed two groups, the Business Network International (BNI) Georgia-Alabama Leadership Retreat and the Noncommissioned Officer Candidate (NCOC) Reunion. The BNI retreat brought regional business professionals together for leadership development, networking, relationship building, and collaboration across the Georgia-Alabama region.

United States Army veterans who attended Noncommissioned Officer Candidate School attended the NCOC Reunion, including those with strong ties to Fort Benning, making Columbus a meaningful destination for the group.

VisitColumbusGA appreciates partners like you who help us welcome groups like these to our community.

(Pictured above: VisitColumbusGA Sales team members with 2026 NCOC Reunion representatives at the registration table.)