PRESS RELEASE: Visit Macon Highlights Tourism Growth at Annual Meeting; 2025 Tourism Awards Recipients Announced

MACON, Ga. (November 7, 2025) — On Thursday, November 6th, Visit Macon proudly announced the 2025 recipients of its “Tourism Awards” at the 43rd anniversary Annual Celebration & Awards Ceremony at the Mill Hill Community Arts Center. It was also an opportunity to celebrate the organizational successes reflected in the work accomplished over this past year with many partners of industry.

In 2024, Macon+Bibb’s tourism industry is proud to announce:

• For 2024, Macon+Bibb saw another record hotel-motel tax collection, with just over $6.6 million in collections. That’s a nearly 7% increase year over year.
• Visitors spent $476.1 million in Macon-Bibb County, which is an increase of 3.9% over the prior year.
• For every dollar spent at a hotel property by visitors, an additional $5.60 is spent in our community.
• The tax dollars that visitors bring to the community save the average household $602 on their tax bill. More importantly, though, taking away the visitor economy would cost each household an additional $8,393 per year!
• We saw 110 pieces of coverage about Macon in the press - including the major highlights of being named a 2025 World’s Greatest Places to Visit by TIME and named one of 10 Best Places to Visit in 2025 by the Wall Street Journal.
• All the earned coverage from the last year has a value of more than $24.3 million and reached as many as 1.77 billion people.
• The marketing team, in partnership with Big Hair Productions, received the U.S. Travel Association’s Destiny Award for Best Video at the 2024 ESTO conference. They were also a Gold winner in the “Series: Travel & Tourism” category at the 46th Telly Awards. And, Macon, Georgia was recognized as one of three nominations as a 2025 ‘Global Music City’ by Sound Diplomacy.

The awards honoring leaders in tourism advocacy include the Otis Hughes Tourism Spirit Award, the B.J. Cain Top-of-the-Line Award, the Steven Fulbright Soul of Macon Award, and the Macon Partner of the Year Award.

The Otis Hughes Tourism Spirit Award is given each year to someone in the Macon-Bibb community who has contributed significantly to Macon’s tourism industry and product; and has given unending time, talent and skill to support Macon’s tourism industry and the growth of the industry. EJ Nobles “was the face of Macon’s only Triple A, Four-Diamond Award-winning property for 33 years. His professionalism and kind heart provided a warm welcome to thousands of guests over his tenure. He ensured that each person who visited Macon felt like this special place was just like home. Regular guests still regularly inquire about him, even though he’s been retired for a year, and they’re disappointed that they missed an opportunity to see a friend they got to know over their many visits. Staff who EJ hired, trained, and managed still carry on his legacy of hospitality and welcoming.” explained award presenter and Visit Macon board member, Lisa Lemon, at last night’s celebration. EJ was nominated by 1842 Inn’s Owner and General Manager, Charles Olson

The B. J. Cain Top of the Line Award recognizes someone who works directly with visitors at an attraction, restaurant, or hotel; has been employed there for a minimum of six months; goes above and beyond the call of duty to provide exemplary experiences for guests and visitors; and maintains a professional attitude and appearance at all times. This year’s recipient, Antowanna Fountain, serves as Assistant General Manager of the Springhill Suites by Marriott. In her nomination for this award, General Manager Cindy Stone, wrote that “Antowanna Fountain loves the industry and everything about Antowanna embodies hospitality. She loves this industry and everything it stands for.” Director of Sales at Visit Macon, Charlotte Moody said, “She is always ready with a huge smile, and even a hug for those who need it. She has a big heart and has been a great help to not only customers, but her teammates, as well. In her role as Assistant Manager, she takes the time to support the business of the hotel but in all that she does she always puts guests and teammates first.”

Previous award winners of the Steven Fulbright Soul of Macon Award, Alex Morrison, of the Urban Development Authority, Kaitlynn Kressin, of Fall Line Brewery, and Emily Hopkins of NewTown Macon & Main Street presented the next award in memory of colleague and friend Steven Fulbright. “What makes someone a recipient of the Steven Fulbright Soul of Macon Award isn’t perfectly defined. Rather, it is something that you just feel and know. One of the best things Steven did was to say yes to a request, and then figure out how to get to yes.”

DSTO Moore was that recipient and exudes that spirit. As Emily Hopkins said, “This is someone who is FROM Macon but who has spent a great deal of time recognizing people who were CHOSEN by Macon.” Closing the award presentation by saying, “[DSTO is] an incredible ambassador, and someone whose passion for his hometown is unmatched.

Lastly, the Macon Partner of the Year Award, recognizes those who contribute to the tourism product in Macon in significant ways. Those can be organizations and people who we work with, sometimes daily, whose efforts make it easier for Visit Macon to bring visitors – and the economic impact those visitors bring – to our community. The 2025 award recipient is Oak View Group.According to Aaron Buzza of SVP & COO of Visit Macon, “Oak View Group operates three venues in Macon – the Coliseum, City Auditorium, and Atrium Health Amphitheatre. We’ve had the opportunity to work closely with them in hosting Georgia High School Association championships. They are always willing to showcase a venue to film scouts. They bring sell-out shows to all three of their venues – everyone from Katt Williams to Matt Matthews to Tedeschi Trucks Band and Jason Aldean.”

“The success of those shows is beneficial community-wide. You may have seen the recent report about the four shows last month that generated over $5 million in spending in just four days. The average show in the first season of the Amphitheatre generated an average of $1 million in spending per show in Macon. Those dollars spread throughout the community, well beyond their venues, to restaurants, retail, and attractions. Our hotels have seen occupancy rates that are more than 60% higher than the previous year on show nights, and daily rates that are more than 20% higher.”

For more information, please contact Visit Macon’s Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, Marisa Rodgers, at (478) 743-1074 x106 or email mrodgers@visitmacon.org.

About Visit Macon: The mission of Visit Macon is to unify and lead our community in marketing the Macon-Bibb County area as a superior visitor and meeting destination. Visit Macon promotes Macon, Georgia to travel writers, meeting planners, group tour operators, and leisure travelers in an effort to bring people and revenues into the community and area businesses. visitmacon.org