Savannah’s mysteries and manners

Savannah has a lot going for it –
tourist-wise and resident-wise. Keeping the balance requires vigilance and
cooperation, says Michael Owens, president and CEO of the city’s Tourism
Leadership Council.

The $3-billion-a-year tourism industry
is responsible for some of the city’s prime attributes. “The renowned restaurants we have, the art
galleries we boast – those cultural things so many of us enjoy simply would not
be here if our tourism product and economy didn’t exist. We’re a town of about
140,000 people.”

But the success of the industry can
create its own problems. “Not everything great for tourism is necessarily great
for the community and our vision of what the community is and what makes
Savannah so special,” Owens says.

“We have never been blind advocates for
the industry. We have opposed certain tourism projects because we felt [they]
didn’t fit. It’s very
difficult to define what is Savannah – Savannah is special to all of us – its
charms, its architecture; and that must be protected. No one I’ve worked with
is interested in allowing Savannah to become Disney World.

“Communications among groups and
factions” are key to striking the right balance. “It’s a small enough town that
we all know each other,” he says. “If we have concerns about an individual
project, a development or a noisy bachelorette party, we call each other, we
talk about it.” A tourism advisory committee made up of community members
within and without the tourism industry meets monthly to keep an eye on the
industry-community balance.

“We are known for mysteries and
manners,” Owens says of Savannah. “We’ve
got to continue to protect and foster that.” 

Learn more about tourism and other
things going on in Savannah in this month’s feature “Old
Meets New.”

Photo courtesy of the Georgia Department of Economic Development

Do you follow us? Find us on Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram.