Part of the "West More - Economic Development" initiative
Develop a comprehensive marketing plan and sample itineraries for exploring Douglas County’s outdoor recreation areas by positioning Douglas County as the Outdoor Recreational Hub for the Metro Atlanta region and surrounding counties. The recommendation packages Douglas County’s natural and recreational assets, including Sweetwater Creek State Park, Boundary Waters/Dog River Park, Foxhall Resort and Sporting Club, and Pine Mountain Gold Museum, so visitors can explore the outdoors, participate in recreation, dive into history, eat at locally owned restaurants, and stay overnight in hotels or the yurt village at Sweetwater Creek State Park.
Tracks positioning Douglas County as the Outdoor Recreational Hub for the Metro Atlanta region and surrounding counties.
Tracks Pine Mountain Gold Museum park acreage.
Tracks Boundary Waters fishing pond.
Tracks Dog River Park acreage.
Tracks expected anecdotal feedback from attractions that attendance has increased.
Tracks short-term budget for supplies for meetings and seed money for the project.
Tracks Pine Mountain Gold Museum building/theater space.
Tracks the listed action steps: meet with location leadership, meet with Douglas County CVB Director, develop committee, design maps/itineraries, implement and distribute maps/itineraries.
Tracks creation of sample maps and itineraries for concept viewing.
Tracks development of a committee to implement the project.
Tracks Douglas County’s position as one of the 10-core counties in the metro Atlanta area.
Tracks Foxhall Resort and Sporting Club acreage.
Tracks Boundary Waters multi-use trails for equestrian, mountain biking, hiking, and running.
Tracks state-owned, county-owned, and corporate-owned recreational acreage used to position Douglas as an outdoor recreation hub.
Tracks meetings with leadership at each location to determine participation interest.
Tracks long-term annual cost for ongoing website updates and social media presence.
Tracks hotel occupancy rate increase over 12-month period.
Tracks Boundary Waters acreage.
Tracks Chattahoochee River acreage at Sweetwater Creek State Park planned for trails, camping sites, and kayak launch.
Tracks medium-term budget for graphic design, GIS services, digital map development, website launch, and social media integration.
Tracks analytical results from website and social media, including ROI for expenditures.
Tracks Sweetwater Creek State Park acreage.
Tracks proven increase of attendance at attractions.
Tracks listed resources and partnerships.
Tracks weekend traffic count increases, with ESRI data to confirm.
Tracks Douglas County’s total land mass, including water.
Tracks implementation and distribution of maps and itineraries.
Tracks meeting with Douglas County CVB Director to determine participation.
Tracks Pine Mountain Gold Museum walking trails.
Tracks visible potential funding sources: Douglas County CVB, City of Douglasville CVB, City of Villa Rica CVB, attraction contributions, corporate sponsorships, Trust for Public Land, and map advertising for restaurants/overnight accommodations.
Tracks George Sparks Reservoir acreage inside Sweetwater Creek State Park.
Detailed visible budget: Short term: $2,500 for supplies for meetings and seed money for project, with undetermined expenses to initiate project. Medium term: $5,000 for graphic design and GIS services for digital map development, website launch, and integration of social media platforms. Long term: $5,000 annually for ongoing website updates and social media presence.