Sen. Lee Anderson and Sen. Jesse Stone welcomed Columbia County tourism professionals to the capitol for Tourism Day.

The Senators were joined by the First Lady of Georgia, Sandra Deal, as they welcomed Shelly Blackburn, Associate Director of the Columbia County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Vickie Harmon Mogilefsky, Visitor Center Coordinator.

“We were honored to have folks from Columbia County visit the capitol this morning,” said Sen. Stone. “This is a great opportunity for them to learn more about the tourism industry and the positive influence it has on our economy, as well as to share some of the great things happening back home.”

The tourism industry brought $59 billion to our economy in 2015 and provides for more than 439,000 jobs statewide. Tourism Day recognizes the importance tourism has on Georgia’s economy and the positive impact it brings statewide.