By Peter Bowden
Rome, Georgia has quietly built a tourism economy that acts less like a “nice-to-have” and more like a durable local industry.
It supports jobs, generates tax revenue and drives year-round demand through a blend of outdoor assets, sports tourism and event infrastructure. In an era when many communities are trying to stabilize their downtown areas, recruit employers and strengthen quality of life, tourism in Floyd County is a practical economic development tool – it brings outside dollars in, circulates them through local businesses and helps fund public services without increasing the burden on residents.
The top line: Visitor spending, jobs and tax relief
In 2024, the most recent data for the county, Floyd County reported a total $149.9 million in direct visitor spending. That represents continued growth. The community has recorded a 0.7 percent year-over-year increase in total economic impact, and the local tourism industry has supported 1,535 jobs across service and hospitality sectors.
Perhaps just as important – especially for local officials and taxpayers – visitor activity generated $12.2 million in state and local tax revenues. A community estimate suggested that without tourism-generated tax dollars, each Floyd County household would need to pay an additional $332 per year to replace that revenue.
These figures matter because they translate tourism into a language economic developers and officials use every day: payrolls, job counts and tax replacement value.
How Rome’s visitor economy is being built: heads in beds and teams in town
According to Rome Convention & Visitor Bureau staff member Ann Hortman, the focus is “recruiting business that generates overnight stays,” including sports, conferences and major events. It’s a similar goal to most of Georgia’s smaller communities.
“Rome is known for outstanding facilities and our southern hospitality,” Hortman continued. “Unique local experiences, Rome and Floyd County’s robust infrastructure with public facilities, targeted marketing, plus community partners and collaboration have built our thriving visitor economy.
Hortman listed Rome Tennis Center, The Forum River Center, Rome and Floyd Parks & Recreation facilities and the AdventHealth Stadium as just a few facilities to bring in tourism.
That being said, Rome’s tourism performance isn’t dependent on one mega-attraction. It is increasingly an ecosystem, anchored by outdoor recreation, a strong sports pipeline and facilities that can host meetings and events.
In 2025, the Rome tourism office reported $25.96 million in economic impact tied specifically to sports, groups, meetings and events where the destination organization was directly involved.
What’s notable is the composition of that event impact. Almost half, or $12.20 million, was thanks to tennis and pickleball. The Forum River Center generated 21 percent, or $5.39 million, while sports generated about 18 percent or $4.81 million. Generally, events raised about $2.92 million – about 11 percent of the economic impact.
Smaller slices include film, meetings, weddings, reunions and site visits. In other words, Rome is operating like a modern “portfolio destination.” It’s not just marketing leisure weekends, it is converting tournaments, championships and bookable events into measure and repeatable economic impact.
Local performance in a record-setting statewide context
Rome’s numbers sit inside a broader tailwind for Georgia tourism. According to Explore Georgia (the Department of Economic Development’s tourism division,” the state welcomed 174.2 million visitors who spent $45.2 billion in 2024. This generated $82 billion in statewide economic impact and supported over 470,000 jobs.
According to Hortman, even as there was a decrease in economic activity during COVID-19, Rome/Floyd County has seen a steady increase in year-over-year visitor spending.
The statewide momentum matters locally for two reasons: competitive set and product expectations. If Georgia is pulling more trips overall, Rome has a larger pool of potential visitors within driving-distance markets – especially metro Atlanta. Record visitation also raises the bar. Travelers expect walkable districts, good wayfinding, bookable experiences and events worth planning around.
Current trends shaping Rome’s tourism economy
Several trends are likely underpinning Rome’s ability to hold and grow spending.
- Event-led demand is becoming a stabilizer: Sports tourism, particularly tennis and pickleball, is carrying a major share of Rome’s measurable event impact. That’s significant because it can fill shoulder seasons, support weekend compression and create predictable booking windows.
- Visitors are paying for “experience density:” Across the industry, destinations that package outdoors + food + local shopping and a downtown vibe tend to outperform those only offering one thing. Rome’s positioning with rivers, trails, historic downtown, facilities and tournament infrastructure fit that pattern.
- Tax sensitivity is increasing the value of tourism: As local governments balance public safety, parks, infrastructure and staffing costs, visitor-generated tax revenue has become more strategically important. Rome and Floyd County’s estimated $12.2 million in visitor-generated state and local taxes – and the household replacement value – turn tourism from marketing into municipal finance
One of Rome’s most visible demonstrations of tourism’s local economic value is the Rome International Film Festival. Every year, the multi-day event draws visitors from across Northwest Georgia and generates concentrated downtown activity that benefits hotels, restaurants and service businesses.
“Rome International Film Festival has been a staple on our event calendar for over 20 years,” Hortman said. “Supporting the thriving Georgia film industry, (Rome) was one of the first designated camera-ready communities in the state.”
Because of the festival, lodging demand often expands beyond the festival footprint itself, and food and beverage establishments see peak-period sales that rival holiday weekends. Perhaps just as important, the festival introduces first-time visitors to Rome’s walkable downtown, historic character and riverfront setting – assets that can convert event attendance into future leisure trips.
The Rome International Film Festival also works as place branding and a quality-of-life investment. Large community events help reinforce Rome’s identity as a culturally engaged destination, an attribute tied to talent attraction, small business confidence and downtown reinvestment.
Festivals create a temporary but powerful “proof of vitality” that signals to residents and visitors alike that Rome can successfully program, host and sustain demand at scale. In that way, the festival delivers well beyond its weekend of impact and strengthens a long-term ecosystem that supports tourism, entrepreneurship and economic growth.
Future trends and opportunities: Where growth can come from next
Rome’s next chapter won’t simply be “more visitors.” The smarter target is higher yield, better seasonality and deeper community benefit. Here are a few plausible, strategic lanes:
- Double down on sports as an economic development engine, not just a tourism tactic.
When sports infrastructure and operations mature, they can produce compounding returns; repeat events, sponsorships, hotel partners and a reputation to win future bids. With tennis and pickleball already representing nearly half of the measured event impact, Rome can treat this as a signature sector – much like how other destinations treat equestrian activities or endurance sports.
- Expand midweek demand through meetings and small conventions.
Rome has the components – venues, hotels, downtown appeal – to target meetings that don’t want Atlanta pricing or scale. Even incremental midweek pickup would improve hotel performance and support restaurants and retail beyond peak leisure windows.
Hortman explained how Georgia’s Rome Office of Tourism has helped drive demand.
“Two years ago, (the tourism office) assumed oversight of The Forum River Center and implemented significant upgrades and renovations, restoring the facility as a premier destination for meetings, conferences and special events,” Hortman said. “These improvements have been instrumental in expanding our weekday business, particularly within the meetings and conference market.”
- Build outdoor recreation as both a brand and a workforce tool.
Outdoor recreation is increasingly linked to talent attraction and small business formation – think guides, outfitters, events and specialty retail. Rome’s river, trail and downtown combination makes it well suited for that “live here” and “visit here” overlap, where tourism and community development reinforce each other.
- Convert visitation into investment confidence.
Visitor volume and visible downtown activity can influence outside perceptions. Developers, employers and entrepreneurs notice places that feel “alive.” Strong tourism can help de-risk private investment decisions in lodging, mixed-use projects and food and beverage. Rome continues to invest in its strategy.
“The success of our facilities created new infrastructure,” Hortman said. “Attracting new hotels, restaurants and attractions.”
She continued, “a prime example is the Rome Tennis Center, which is a public-private partnership and a SPLOST project.” It’s one of the nation’s largest tennis facilities with 51 standard courts, six indoor courts and over 60 annual tournaments and events.
In 2028, Rome Sports and Rome Tennis Center will host the NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s National Championships
With roughly $149.9 million in direct visitor spending, millions in state and local tax generation and over 1,500 jobs, tourism in Rome and Floyd County is already operating at a meaningful economic scale. The next opportunity is to manage that scale like an industry: protect year round demand with event strategy, grow yield through meetings and higher-spend segments and keep aligning visitor economy decisions with community outcomes residents can feel.
