Tourism Manager

City of Fayetteville, GA; Fayetteville (GA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Fayetteville, Georgia is seeking a strategic Tourism Program Director to lead the visitor center operations, drive a comprehensive destination marketing strategy, and build strong partnerships with hoteliers, attractions, and regional tourism organizations.

You will work with the Downtown Development Authority, Main Street Tourism Association and City leadership to position Fayetteville as a premier destination.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in tourism, hospitality management, marketing, public administration, communications, or related field; equivalent experience.
• 5+ years in tourism development/destination marketing or economic development with program-building experience.

Responsibilities

• Operate the visitor center and manage Fayetteville's tourism function.
• Develop and execute a destination marketing strategy.
• Cultivate partnerships with hoteliers, attractions, and regional tourism bodies.
• Coordinate with DDA/Main Street Tourism Association and City leadership.
• Prepare reports and recommendations for City Council and leadership.
• Develop and manage the tourism program budget.
• Monitor tourism trends and impact to guide program direction.
• Oversee digital, print, social media, and earned media campaigns.

Skills

Budget management

Public relations

Strategic planning

Team leadership

Written and verbal communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in tourism/hospitality/marketing/public administration/communications

Tools

CMS

Google Analytics

Social media management tools

Job description

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The City of Fayetteville, Georgia commits to a policy of equal employment opportunity for applicants and employees, complying with local, state and federal laws. The City's policy is to employ qualified persons without discrimination regarding race, creed, color, religion, age, sex, country of national origin, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, political affiliation, ethnicity, or status in any other group protected by federal/state/local law.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.

Summary Objective

The purpose of this position is to manage the City of Fayetteville tourism function. This position is responsible for operating the visitor center; developing and executing a destination marketing strategy; and cultivating partnerships with hoteliers, attractions, tournament and event promoters, and regional tourism organizations. This position works closely with the Downtown Development Authority, Main Street Tourism Association and City leadership to position Fayetteville as a competitive visitor destination.

This class works independently, under limited supervision, reporting major activities through periodic meetings. This position reports to the Director of Economic Development.

Essential Functions

The essential functions listed below are those that represent the majority of the time spent working in this class. Management may assign additional functions related to the type of work of the class as necessary.

• Curate visitor-facing information, maps, and collateral highlighting downtown, local attractions, dining, lodging, and events.
• Develop and track visitor center performance metrics (foot traffic, visitor origin, inquiry types) to inform program strategy.
• Solicit and secure meetings, conventions, reunions, and sports tournaments to book Fayetteville as a destination.
• Assemble bid packages and coordinate site visits/familiarization (FAM) tours for meeting planners, tournament organizers, and tour operators.
• Coordinate with area hotels on room block availability and agreements to support group and tournament bookings.
• Track group, meeting, and tournament bookings and their associated economic impact to the City.
• Design and launch a comprehensive tourism development program aligned with the City's economic development and comprehensive plan goals.
• Build and manage relationships with hoteliers, restaurateurs, tournament and event organizers, the DDA/Main Street Tourism Association, and regional/state tourism bodies (e.g., Georgia Department of Economic Development / Explore Georgia).
• Identify and pursue grant funding, sponsorships, and cooperative marketing opportunities to support tourism initiatives.
• Track tourism and hospitality trends, visitor spending data, and competitive destination analysis to guide program direction.
• Develop and execute an integrated destination marketing strategy spanning digital, print, social media, and earned media.
• Establish and maintain Fayetteville's tourism brand identity, website/digital presence, and visitor-facing content.
• Plan and execute marketing campaigns supporting downtown events, festivals, and seasonal tourism drivers.
• Coordinate with the City's public communications function to ensure consistent messaging across tourism, economic development, and City channels.
• Conduct media and public relations outreach, including pitching travel writers and hosting familiarization (FAM) tours to generate earned coverage of the destination.
• Manage relationships with marketing vendors, photographers, and media partners as needed.
• Prepare reports, presentations, and funding recommendations for City Council, the DDA/Main Street Board, and City leadership.
• Develop and manage the tourism program's annual budget.
• Ensure compliance with the Georgia Open Records Act and other applicable public-sector requirements in program communications and recordkeeping.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce polished, public-facing materials.
• Proficiency with digital marketing platforms, content management systems, and basic data/analytics tools.
• Working knowledge of destination marketing organization (DMO) practices, visitor center operations, and hotel-motel tax funding structures.
• May require some overnight travel for conferences, trade shows, and destination marketing events.
• Performs related work as assigned.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in tourism, hospitality management, marketing, public administration, communications, or a related field; equivalent professional experience may substitute for education.
• Five (5) or more years of progressively responsible experience in tourism development, destination marketing, hospitality management, or economic development, with demonstrated program‑building or start‑up experience preferred.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) or similar tourism industry credential.
• Prior experience launching a visitor center or tourism program from inception.
• Familiarity with Georgia municipal government operations and hotel-motel tax statutory framework (O.C.G.A. § 48-13-50).
• Experience managing consultants, marketing vendors, or grant-funded initiatives.

Physical Demands:

Physical demands refer to the requirements for physical exertion and coordination of limb and body movement.

• Performs sedentary work that involves walking or standing some of the time and involves exerting up to 10 pounds of force on a regular and recurring basis or sustained keyboard operations.

Unavoidable Hazards (Work Environment):

Unavoidable hazards refer to the job conditions that may lead to injury or health hazards even though precautions have been taken.

• None

Special Certifications and Licenses:

• Must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license.

Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance

The City of Fayetteville is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires the City to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss ADA accommodations with management.

Standard Clauses

May be required to work nights, weekends and holidays to meet the business needs of the City.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of essential functions and responsibilities that are required of an employee for this job. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.