Local tourism and hospitality leadership is assessing the impact Helene has had so far, and will have in the coming days, on Metro Augusta.
Destination Augusta estimates as much as $8.5 million has been lost in economic impact from events that have been canceled and will be canceled for the foreseeable future.
“With the news that hurricane Helene was going to impact Georgia, we began to see conferences and conventions cancel their plans. Obviously, the first major thing to go last week was the Iron Man event that was supposed to be held on Sunday,” Jennifer Bowen, Vice President of Destination Development and Community Engagement, told ABD.
That accounted for nearly $6 million in lost revenue. It was followed by BsidesAugusta with an anticipated impact of more than $500,000.
Bowen said, as substantial as the $8.5 million is, it is based solely on what events use Destination Augusta to plan their visit.
“These are just the groups that we, our organization, worked with directly. It does not take into account the many other groups who worked directly with their hotelier or their venue. So, we imagine that it’s greater than this, but certainly 8.5 million is a conservative estimate of the loss of visitor-generated spending,” she explained.
“We know that many of our hotels are without power, and so they are not in operation, and the ones that are completely full and occupied by people who have had to flee their homes because of damage and no power,” she added.
According to numbers posted on the Augusta Economic Development Authority (AEDA) website, accommodation and food services ranked in the top 10 of Augusta’s largest industries. In 2020, that category accounted for 21,000 jobs and more than $668 million in Gross Regional Product (GRP). That is similar to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The City of Augusta also acknowledges the impact tourism and hospitality have on the local economy with a report on its website:
“Leisure and hospitality establishments include such uses as restaurants, hotels, motels, nightclubs, movie theaters, and museums. Over 20,400 area residents are employed in such establishments, which tend to be concentrated in historic downtowns, suburban shopping centers, and along commercial strips. The high level of employment in this category reflects the strength of tourism and convention business, and the fact that the metropolitan area is home to many special events and cultural facilities.”
While Metro Augusta is working to get back on its feet, Bowen said they have been receiving messages of encouragement and offers of help from counterparts across the country. She said the first contact came from Macon.
“But then very quickly, I’ve heard from some friends in Texas, heard from some friends in the industry in Colorado. And Bennish (Brown, President and CEO of Destination Augusta) has been directly in touch with some people from Baltimore and then many other different places who are all reaching out to let us know they’re thinking about us and praying for us and offering to help in any way.”
She said the Henry County government just recently held a meeting in Augusta. They have offered to assist with water and other resources, as necessary.
Bowen said there is one important thing to know about metro Augusta.
“Just that Augusta is strong,” she said. “Our community is diverse, creative. It’s innovative. It is hospitable. We’ve been welcoming visitors to our region for decades and we will be ready to do that again soon. Augusta has a resilient community and residents.”
