Atlanta gets 40 million visitors in 2012, right up with LA and Vegas
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has announced the city hosted more than 40 million visitors last year, and the record puts Atlanta on par with Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Diego.
Reed made the announcement during a press conference Tuesday afternoon, and said tourism is one of Atlanta's primary economic drivers.
City officials say visitation has increased by 28 percent in the last decade while the city charted a $5 billion increase in new attractions, restaurants and hotels.
The city's hospitality industry is set to continue growing as $2.5 billion in development has been planned through 2017. Officials say the industry supports more than 223,000 jobs in Atlanta, and translates to an annual impact of about $12 billion.
Up Next
Hotels
How Data Quality Issues Impact Global Hospitality Operations
There are wide discrepancies in data quality for hotel transactions across global regions, with the largest occurring in Asia-Pacific. Because hotels and agencies need to harness data quality to thrive, they must take a more nuanced regional approach to monitoring potential issues.
Sponsored 
Tourism
Indian Union Budget: The Hits and Misses for Tourism
While the Indian Union Budget for 2025-26 didn't roll out any blockbuster wins for tourism, the industry is still finding reasons to celebrate the small victories.
Airlines
U.S. Safety Investigators Are Reviewing Air Traffic Controller Staffing
The National Transportation Safety Board did not specify how many air traffic controllers were working at the time of the collision.
Airlines
United Airlines Shuts Down Rumors About a Merger
Rumors circulated online this week that United was potentially interested in merging with JetBlue or buying some of the New York-based carrier’s assets.
Short-Term Rentals
CEO of UK Property Manager Awaze to Leave the Company
Kjellberg's departure from Awaze occurs as vacation rental consolidation is on the agenda in Europe.