Tourism overview for Atlanta, Georgia
Tourism keeps growing in Atlanta
Millions of visitors come to Atlanta every year for its attractions, its sports scene, its Southern food and its history. That tourism growth also says something about the city you may be considering buying or investing in.
Atlanta drew an estimated 51 million visitors in a recent year, according to the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Tourism in Georgia generated a total economic impact of $73 billion in a recent year, up 13% from the year before.
Georgia Aquarium, with more than 11 million gallons of water, is the largest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere and the only one in the U.S. with whale sharks.
Quick summary
Tourism in Atlanta keeps rising thanks to its cultural attractions, its weight as a sports capital, its Southern food and its history. The city draws tens of millions of visitors a year, and that steady flow also strengthens the local economy — something worth noting for anyone buying or investing in the region.
Atlanta has earned a place among the most visited destinations in the southeastern United States, and that growth is not a coincidence. The city combines cultural attractions, professional sports, a food scene that goes well beyond expectations, and a historical weight few American cities can match.
That steady flow of visitors also matters if you are considering buying or investing here. A city that sustains tourism tends to have a stronger service economy, more jobs tied to hospitality and events, and a more active urban life throughout the year.
Tens of millions of visitors and a growing economic impact
Tourism in Atlanta is no longer a side note. According to figures from the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, the city drew an estimated 51 million visitors in a recent year, more than a million of whom came from outside the United States. At the state level, tourism in Georgia generated a total economic impact of $73 billion, up 13% from the previous year.
That volume of visitors sustains a hotel and hospitality industry in Atlanta valued in the tens of billions of dollars. Hotels, restaurants, events and conventions generate direct and indirect employment that adds to the region’s broader economy, beyond what the tech and manufacturing companies that also choose Atlanta bring in.
Attractions that are hard to replicate elsewhere
Georgia Aquarium is probably the city’s best-known attraction. With more than 11 million gallons of water spread across seven major galleries, it is the largest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere and one of only a handful in the world — and the only one in the United States — housing whale sharks.
Add to that the World of Coca-Cola, Centennial Olympic Park built for the 1996 Olympic Games, and the Sun Dial Restaurant, Bar & View, located on the top floors of the Westin Peachtree Plaza, offering a 360-degree panoramic view of the entire city skyline from more than 700 feet up.
The sports capital of the southeastern United States
Few cities pack this much professional sports into one place. Atlanta is home to NFL, NBA and MLB teams, which means there is almost always a relevant game or sporting event happening somewhere in the city during the season. Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with its retractable roof and modern design, has become one of the most recognized sports venues in the country, also hosting concerts and international events year-round.
Southern food and an increasingly diverse dining scene
Southern cooking remains one of the main reasons people visit Atlanta: homemade biscuits, fried chicken and pulled pork sandwiches are part of the city’s culinary identity. But Atlanta has also become a city with a wide international food scene, with restaurants ranging from authentic Mexican cuisine to sushi and dishes from other regions of the world, a reflection of the diversity that has arrived alongside the region’s population growth.
History and culture that give Atlanta a different kind of weight
Atlanta holds a central place in the history of civil rights in the United States. The city is home to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and the King Center, where the memorial site for Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. is located. That combination of history, culture and memory attracts a different kind of visitor than someone looking only for entertainment, and it gives Atlanta layers: you can visit for the sports, the food, the museums or the history, and find something substantial in each one.
Updated on February 20, 2025 using public information from the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, ExploreGeorgia.org and Georgia Aquarium. Visitor and economic impact figures are updated every year; confirm the most recent data with the official sources.
Tourism in Georgia
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