Agritourism

1. Georgia’s hospitality and tourism industry is the second-largest economic contributor to the state, closely tied to agriculture through the lodging and food sectors.
2. In 2023, Georgia’s visitor spending reached $46.3 billion, contributing to a total economic impact of $79.7 billion, with distinct spending trends in rural and urban areas.
3. Rural: In 2023, June, March, and October showed the highest demand for lodging in rural communities. Rural counties in Georgia showed slight growth in lodging demand and an increase in average daily rate (ADR) to $107.13 in 2024.
4. Urban: While experiencing softened demand, urban counties maintained stable ADR levels ($109.49) in 2024.
5. State park visitation peaked at 14.2 million visits in 2023, demonstrating the growing appeal of nature-based and rural tourism, though 2024 showed a slight decline.
6. Economic pressures such as inflation and changes in consumer behavior have led to a leveling of demand and moderated growth projections for 2025.

1. For Georgia breweries, the year was marked by slowed growth and heightened competition amongst craft brewers, with production volume continuing to decrease moving forward. Georgia distilleries also saw a sizable contraction in 2023, attributed primarily to an increase in out-of-state distilleries and new products entering the market—especially at competitive price points. Wineries were the only beverage segment in Georgia to experience growth, driven largely by tourism demand and increased product quality, which should carry momentum into the future.
2. Each beverage segment should continue to focus on growing on-premise sales and activities, leveraging consumer interest and demand for craft and quality to develop more dynamic experiences with tours and tastings, as well as increased opportunities to purchase products directly.
3. Given the highly competitive nature of the alcoholic beverage industry, Georgia’s breweries, wineries, and distilleries need to differentiate themselves. Marketing and communicating their locality is one relatively easy way to achieve this. This could include sourcing local ingredients, becoming more involved with the community by hosting events or sponsorships, or developing strategic partnerships with local restaurants to offer their products as signature or house exclusives.

1. Consumer spending on food away from home increased in 2023, both nationally and in Georgia, driving overall food spending growth and reflecting a national trend of continued consumer preference for dining away from home.
2. Georgia’s industry should continue to experience growth in full-service restaurants, limited-service restaurants, and all other food and drinking places.
3. Because of their relatively lower labor and operating costs, limited-service restaurants have experienced the most significant growth both in year-over-year and 5-year periods and should continue to increase at a fast pace.

1. Total number of trips among U.S. travel will grow 4.3% in 2024.
2. In 2023, pick-your-own farms and wineries/distilleries/breweries comprised almost 20% of the state’s agritourism attractions.
3. 2023 hotel demand will end with modest growth for rural and urban counties.
4. In 2022, total gross demand for accommodations in Georgia’s rural counties increased 24.7%; there was a 13.7% increase for food in the same counties.
5. Visitation to state park and outdoor recreation areas increased 1% in 2022.

1. All three alcoholic beverage sectors in Georgia experienced significant growth over the last 20 years and are poised to keep growing.
2. Breweries had the highest total demand in 2022 ($1.1 billion), followed closely by wineries ($970 million). Distilleries saw the highest average 5-year growth rate—6% YOY.
3. Sourcing local ingredients will continue to help beverage producers in the state differentiate themselves from competitors and meet increased consumer demand.
4. Agritourism demand and the ability to sell directly to the consumer is critical to the industry’s growth and development.