An organization that is part of Augusta’s tourism and hospitality industry is lacing up for events in 2027.
The Augusta Sports Council has issued a call for volunteers to help with the 19th annual Augusta Half Marathon, 10K & 5K in Feb. 2027. The council needs 300 volunteers to help with the 1,500 athletes expected to participate.
“People are coming out at 4:30 in the morning. Sometimes they’re right there along with us,” Michelle Pippin, CEO of the council, told ABD. “They’re ambassadors and cheerleaders for the community and for those athletes, and we honestly couldn’t keep rolling out this red carpet of Southern hospitality without them.”
The call for volunteers coincided with this year’s annual report on the economic impact of the travel and tourism industry in Augusta.
Augusta hosted its annual Augusta State of Tourism (ASOT) celebration on Nov. 4th. It marked the announcement of how much tourism pumped into local businesses and government coffers.
“We’re at $910 million of tourism spending,” announced Destination Augusta’s president and CEO Bennish Brown. “We saw a two and a half percent increase. I know that sounds not extremely large, but It’s been an average increase among destinations when I look at some data from Explore Georgia.”
That does, in fact, line up with the recent announcement from Explore Georgia that the Peach State broke tourism records for the fourth year in a row. In 2025, 175.6 million visitors to Georgia spent $46.2 billion across the state. That translates to an increase of more than 2% over the previous year.
Brown pointed to annual events like TechNet, which have grown larger, attracting more attendees year over year. That, coupled with major sports events such as the Masters Tournament and Ironman 70.3, keeps Augusta on an upward trajectory.
“The growth we’re seeing is manageable, and that’s the good thing about the level of growth,” he explained. “These are just not one-offs. This is the steady growth that really indicates both the investment we make into the work we do, our marketing investment, our investment to go out and secure business to come here.”
The growth could change dramatically next year. Augusta will see Broad Street construction completed, opening of the Conroy in the former Ramada Hotel and completion of the new, 10,500-seat arena in the James Brown Entertainment Complex.
“I think we’re geared up for second-level success with all of the things that’ll culminate in 2027,” said Brown. “How do we even forecast what that looks like? I’m not sure how we forecast that because these will be transformative changes for us. The James Brown Entertainment Complex will be complete with the Bell (Auditorium) and the arena, and those two assets working at full power. And ice hockey is going to be just a game changer of its own.”
Part of the Broad Street construction includes development of the James Brown Linear Park, expected to draw music lovers and historians to the city. Add to that is the Outdoor Urban Adventure Center that will feature a zipline starting from the Freedom Bridge at 5th Street.
Brown and Pippin agree part of Augusta’s tourism can be credited to successful partnerships that create an integrated experience year-round.
“We all understand the expertise that each organization has, and we play a role where we need to play a role,” Brown said. “We work together in planning and strategy. Our planning is not just one year out. We’re looking two years out, maybe three years out.”
“A lot of it has a little bit to do with luck. A lot of it is about relationships,” added Pippin. “It’s everything from plan. There’s a long runway of planning for these events.”
Brown said one thing Destination Augusta never loses sight of is that success is about more than Augusta alone. The focus is on regionalism, bringing surrounding counties under the tourism umbrella.
“We are absolutely fine being the hub of a traveler when they can step out and have other experiences,” he said. “If you look around this entire metro area, there are so many options, so many unique venues.”
Included in the ASOT celebration was the presentation of the Augusta Tourism Awards. It recognized individuals and organizations whose work elevates the visitor experience.
- Community Spirit Award: Kim Dillard, Phinizy Center and Nature Park
- Tourism Partner of the Year: Meadow Garden
- President’s Award: Derek May, Azalea Investments
- President’s Award: Karen Gordon, Growing Augusta
Anyone interested in learning more about the Augusta Half Marathon, or to sign up as a volunteer, can visit www.AugustaHalf.org/volunteer
While pleased with the steady growth tourism brought to Augusta, Brown still has his eye on the golden ticket, reaching the $1 billion mark.
“We are edging ever closer and closer to what I think is a reachable target, and it’s a target that I think we can land on, and we’ll think about what happens after that,” he said.
