2026 ANNUAL REPORT
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Executive Summary Visit Sandy Springs | FY26 Annual Report Fiscal Year 2026 was a defining year brand platform for Sandy Springs, built for Visit Sandy Springs, marked by the around the idea that this is a destination completion of our first-ever Annual that asks something of its visitors, and Business Plan, a foundational document laid groundwork that will carry into FY27. designed to set clear goals and give structure and direction to our work across On the performance side, VSS implemented new sales metrics and the organization. With that plan as a reporting mechanisms, giving the guide, VSS built out the infrastructure organization clearer visibility into sales and talent needed to operate as a activity and a more consistent way to more mature, data-driven destination track progress against goals. Sandy marketing organization. Springs welcomed 2.7 million visitors in To support this growth, VSS added 2025, generating an estimated economic two new positions to the team: a impact of $480.9 million, with hotel Destination Services Manager and a partners reporting an annual average of Website & Database Manager. These 65.3% occupancy and $117 in ADR. roles strengthened our ability to serve Beyond these operational milestones, hospitality partners directly and to VSS remained an active and visible voice manage the digital systems that for the destination. The team engaged power our marketing and sales efforts. directly with the City of Sandy Springs Alongside these hires, VSS migrated its and the local business community, CMS and CRM platforms, modernizing bringing residents and visitors together the systems behind our website and through a full calendar of activations. partner relationships and establishing a more reliable foundation for data and content management.
Together with the first business plan, new team roles, upgraded systems, a VSS also welcomed a new agency partner new agency partner, and stronger sales reporting, these milestones position Visit this year, bringing on Fuseideas to support creative and brand development Sandy Springs to build on this momentum in FY27 with a clearer strategy, stronger work. That partnership has already infrastructure, and a growing brand. shaped the early exploration of a new
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Overview of Organization Board of Directors Visit Sandy Springs is guided by a Board of Directors made up of local business leaders, hoteliers, and community champions, all of whom bring deep expertise and a shared commitment to growing Sandy Springs as a premier destination. Together, they set the strategic direction for VSS and help ensure our work reflects the needs of the community we serve.
Meet the Board Mayor Rusty Paul Chairman Mayor of Sandy Springs Pam Rosenthal Secretary Event Strategist Meeting Street South John Visconti Director of Sales & Marketing The Westin Atlanta Perimeter North Ann Delmas Retired – Department of Defense Jackie Fukuya-Merkel Owner, Bishoku Karen Jenkins General Manager Fairfield by Marriott Atlanta Perimeter Center Amanda Singer General Manager Just Love Coffee Cafe Atlanta-Perimeter Tisha Rosamond F&B Operations Manager IHG Hotels & Resorts
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Tourism Economics Data To further educate the community about the value of the visitor economy, VSS partnered with Tourism Economics to develop a comprehensive tourism impact report. The data from that report will be leveraged in FY27 through strategic initiatives that help members of our community better understand the roles they play in the evolution of Sandy Springs as a destination.
Key Findings Visitors Generate Significant Economic Impact In 2025, 2.7 million visitors spent $434.9 million in the Sandy Springs economy, generating a total economic impact of $480.9 million.
2.7M VISITORS TO SANDY SPRINGS
$434.9M VISITOR SPENDING
$480.9M TOTAL ECONOMIC IMPACT
$179.7M TOTAL PERSONAL INCOME
4,080 TOTAL JOBS SUPPORTED
$36.0M STATE & LOCAL TAXES 6
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Results in Context The visitor economy is an economic pillar in Sandy Springs. In 2025, visitor spending supported one-in-35 jobs in the city. In addition:
$434.9M VISITOR SPENDING
Visitors spent $1.2 million per day in Sandy Springs, on average.
$179.7M PERSONAL INCOME
This is the equivalent of $3,479 per resident household, regardless of any connection to the visitor economy.
4,080 JOBS
The visitor economy sustained 2.9% of all jobs in Sandy Springs in 2025.
$36.0M STATE & LOCAL TAXES
State and local taxes generated by the visitor economy offset resident taxes by $698 per household.
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Sandy Sandy Springs welcomed Springs 2.7 million welcomed visitors who 2.7 million spent $434.9 visitors million inwho spent 2025. $434.9
million in 2025.
Visitor Volume In 2025, 2.7 million visitors traveled to Sandy Springs, a slight decline compared to the prior year (-0.3%). This pullback was driven by the overnight segment, which saw a 0.8% year-over-year decline in volume.
Sandy Springs Visitor Volume millions
10.4%
10.5%
1.0%
-0.3%
2.72
2.74
2.73
2023
2024
2025
2.46 2.23
2021
2022
Source: Tourism Economics 10
Visitor Spending Visitor spending increased 1.4% in 2025, reaching $434.9 million. Of the $434.9 million spent, food and beverage purchases accounted for $148.8 million–34.2% of all visitor spending. Lodging spending, including short-term rentals, represented 31.7% of total visitor spending.
Sandy Springs Visitor Spending $ millions
16.0%
14.9%
1.3%
1.4%
$423.2
$428.8
$434.9
2023
2024
2025
$368.4 $317.7
2021
2022
FOOD & BEVERAGE $148.8M 34.2%
LODGING $137.8M 31.7%
TRANSP. $56.5M 13.0%
RETAIL $47.1M 10.8% REC/ENT $44.6M 10.3%
Source: Tourism Economics
Note: Lodging includes all accommodation types.
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Direct Employment Employment directly supported by visitor activity increased 0.1% in 2025, reaching 3,909 jobs. Visitor-supported employment is a significant part of several industries in Sandy Springs–nearly all lodging employment, 33% of recreation employment, and 24% of food and beverage jobs are supported by visitor spending. Overall, direct tourism jobs accounted for approximately 3% of all jobs in Sandy Springs in 2025.
Visitor-Supported Employment in Sandy Springs jobs
10.3% 3,579
8.2%
0.7%
0.1%
3,874
3,903
3,909
2023
2024
2025
3,244
2021
2022
Source: Tourism Economics
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Tourism Employment Intensity share of total industry employment
98%
33% Lodging Recreation
24% Food services
12%
Retail
3% All industries
Source: Tourism Economics
The visitor economy in Sandy Springs directly supported more than 3,900 local jobs. 13
Tax Impacts Visitor activity generated $54.1 million in government revenues in 2025. State and local taxes alone tallied $36.0 million in 2025. Each household in the city of Sandy Springs would need to be taxed an additional $698 to replace the visitor-generated taxes received by state and local governments in 2025.
Tax Impacts (2025) $ millions Total Total Tax Revenues
$54.1
Federal Taxes
$18.0
Personal Income
$3.6
Corporate
$6.0
Indirect business
$5.9
Social Insurance
$2.5
State and Local Taxes
$36.0
Sales
$12.7
Bed Tax
$8.6
Personal Income
$1.0
Corporate
$1.2
Social insurance
$0.0
Excise and Fees
$2.2
Property
$10.3
Source: Tourism Economics
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The visitor economy generated $54.1 million in government revenue in 2025.
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Brand Development & Marketing Recap In FY26, Visit Sandy Springs’ Brand Development & Marketing efforts moved from planning to progress, providing a new foundation for how our destination is positioned, promoted, and experienced. The department advanced several key initiatives that will shape the future of the organization, including the selection of a fullservice agency partner, the continued evolution of the Visit Sandy Springs brand, improvements to marketing systems and internal workflows, and a more strategic approach to content, data, and campaign development. 16
FY26 also marked important progress in making Sandy Springs a more welcoming and accessible destination. By continuing work with Wheel the World, enhancing accessible travel content, and identifying new opportunities for inclusive storytelling, the department helped make it possible for more visitors to see themselves as part of the Sandy Springs experience. Together, these accomplishments represent a year of transition, focus, and momentum. Brand Development & Marketing not only promoted Sandy Springs throughout FY26, but also implemented stronger tools, built meaningful partnerships, and crafted a strategic direction to tell the city’s story with greater clarity, consistency, and impact in the years ahead.
FY26 Wins/Highlights: Agency of Record
• Selected Fuseideas as Visit Sandy Springs’ new full-service agency of record, completing a
competitive RFP and evaluation process outlined as a key FY26 brand development priority
• Launched a comprehensive brand evolution initiative to establish a more recognizable, energized, and destination-focused identity for Visit Sandy Springs
• Conducted stakeholder discovery and research to ensure the evolving brand reflects the
perspectives of the organization, hospitality partners, community stakeholders, residents, and visitors
• Created a holistic marketing and media strategy designed to better define priority
audiences and strengthen Sandy Springs’ competitive positioning across leisure and group travel markets
• Expanded the approach to integrated campaign development, connecting brand strategy, creative content, paid media, and audience targeting under one agency partner
• Established the foundation for the next phase of Visit Sandy Springs marketing,
positioning the organization to introduce its evolved brand and deploy new integrated campaigns in FY27
Our Process Strategy Analytics
Discovery
Brief
Media Planning & Buying
Creative
COLLABORATIVE 360° IDEATION
Content & Social
Implement
Measure
Video Production
Digital Experiential
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Social Media • Milestone Audience Growth:
• Local Business Amplification:
• High-Impact Video Storytelling:
• Direct-to-Consumer Outreach:
Surpassed 20,000 followers on both Instagram and Facebook, expanding Visit Sandy Springs’ organic reach to both local residents and prospective regional travelers Shifted strategic focus toward dynamic short-form video, generating over 5 million total views and accumulating 254 days of total watch time across Meta platforms
• Deepened Community Engagement: Drove meaningful audience resonance, capturing 203,400+ content interactions (likes, comments, shares, and saves) across all digital channels
Directly spotlighted 60+ Sandy Springs businesses, giving local dining, retail, entertainment, and hospitality partners high-visibility promotion to drive foot traffic Delivered 12 monthly newsletters to an engaged subscriber base averaging 4,700 readers and sustaining an outstanding 60% average open rate—more than double typical destination marketing benchmarks
Year in Review
5M Views
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203.4K Content Interactions
80.6K Link Clicks
6.5k Follows
Top Collaborations @AccessATL
@ATLFoodies
@CurbFreeCoryLee
Views: 442.4K Interactions: 55.3K Watch Time: 32d 22h Follows: 706
254 Days Video Watch Time
@AccessATL @AdventuresinAtlanta @ATLFoodiesOfficial @ATLFoodGoals @ATLBestBites @BestVibesAtlanta @CurbFreeCoryLee @CEOxDrone @DressLikeAgent @EatClickRepeat @Eat.Tray.Love. @Foodie_SOB
@HayleyRubenstein @Indians_in_Atlanta @JessFindsFun @Marley.babe.eats @_TheLifeConnoisseur @TheAndreaAndrade @TheTiffanyDavis @TravelKSU @TwentySomethingTraveler_ @Sagar.eats @ServingLooksATL @SydATLEats 19
Public Relations In partnership with TKPR, Visit Sandy Springs continued to strengthen the destination’s visibility through strategic public relations and earned media efforts. By hosting visiting journalists and content creators, developing compelling story angles, and showcasing the people, places, and experiences that make Sandy Springs unique, we generated valuable third-party exposure and expanded awareness of the city’s dining, outdoor, cultural and hospitality offerings to new audiences.
Coverage Recap
• 35 Stories • 1.5 Billion Potential Reach • 10 Media Visits • 4 Influencer Visits
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Media Moments MATADOR network
Accolades: “Unique destinations around Atlanta that are worth a visit” -Upscale Magazine “Best Christmas Cities in the US” -Time Out “Sandy Springs Sets the Standard for Accessible Travel in Georgia” -Marietta Daily Journal
Holiday Gift Guide Visit Sandy Springs launched its first-ever Holiday Gift Guide in FY26 as a creative way to showcase what makes Sandy Springs unique during the holiday season. Rather than creating a traditional shopping guide, the concept paired experiences visitors can enjoy in Sandy Springs with products and brands connected to corporate partners headquartered in the city. The guide highlights Sandy Springs’ significant corporate presence, including companies such as Newell Brands, Inspire Brands, GoTo Foods, Mercedes-Benz USA, UPS and others.
• Sent preview packages/gift card sets to media. • Directly resulted in 7 stories. • Distributed approximately 820 physical guides. • Drove 2,090 combined views to the Holiday Gift Guide landing page and digital guide.
• Received approximately 70,000 views and 1,100 interactions across all posts about the gift guide on social, with nearly 600 link clicks.
Holiday Gift Guide
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WANF - Atlanta News First
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Yahoo
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Accessible Travel • Continued Visit Sandy Springs’ partnership with Wheel the World to
expand accessible travel resources and Destination Verified experiences
• Added additional accessibility verifications for Sandy Springs tourism and hospitality businesses
• Worked to enhance accessible travel information and resources available to visitors
• Collaborated with local partners and content creators to develop authentic accessible travel content
• Continued integrating accessibility considerations into website
development, marketing materials, content, and destination promotion
USA Today
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Curb Free Corey Lee
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Website & Database In FY26, Visit Sandy Springs successfully launched and integrated four new digital platforms: a customer relationship management (CRM) system, a redesigned website, a digital asset management (DAM) system, and a hotel booking engine. Together, these platforms represent a significant upgrade to the organization’s digital infrastructure.
Website Performance: In FY26, the website generated 1,063,078 page views across 720,126 sessions, including 160,337 display sessions and 108,411 organic sessions. The site achieved an overall engagement rate of 40.06%.
Digital Asset Management Organization Visit Sandy Springs reorganized more than 8,000 digital assets in SnapSea, improving the accessibility and management of its photo and video library. Expanded use of media centers, galleries, UGC collections, and SnapLinks also streamlined how approved content is organized, shared, and distributed.
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Event Automation: To improve operational efficiency, a new module was created within the organization’s content management system (CMS) to directly import events onto the website. This automation ensured all signature events were displayed accurately and consistently while minimizing repetitive manual tasks. This allowed our staff to dedicate more attention to strategic, high-impact work.
CRM Standards and Guidelines: Visit Sandy Springs made significant progress toward developing a comprehensive CRM handbook. This effort established clear standards and procedures for CRM use across the organization, laying the foundation for more effective data entry and website management.
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Project Management System Utilization Visit Sandy Springs expanded its use of Asana to centralize website projects, support tickets, content audits, and recurring reviews. These workflows improve visibility, accountability, and efficiency while helping staff maintain a more accurate and consistently updated website.
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Hotel Booking Engine Visit Sandy Springs implemented Ripe, a lodging reservation platform integrated into the website to simplify hotel discovery. Features include a filtered hotel directory, customized landing pages, and embeddable partner widgets that drive visitors to local lodging options while providing trackable booking-interest data.
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Destination Sales Strategy Recap In FY26, Visit Sandy Springs expanded and strengthened our sales strategy by establishing a Sales & Services Department. To set this department up for success, we created a strategic, department-specific plan that places greater emphasis on visitor experience and destination services. This expansion enabled us to attend more trade shows, host more impactful site visits, and provide a seamless planning experience. The foundation we laid in FY26 has positioned us for continued growth in the coming years.
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As Visit Sandy Springs closes 2026, our focus turns to building on the momentum we’ve created this year. Fiscal Year 2027 marks the next chapter in strengthening our position as the city’s destination marketing organization through strategic brand development, stronger partnerships, data-driven decision making, community engagement and an enhanced visitor experience. A key priority will be advancing our Sales & Services program by increasing overnight visitation, elevating the meeting planner experience, and positioning Sandy Springs as a premier destination for meetings, sporting events, and group travel. Guided by collaboration, innovation, and exceptional customer service, these initiatives will support our local hospitality industry, generate measurable economic impact for our residents, and create memorable experiences for every visitor.
FY26 Wins/Highlights: • Creation of and hiring for the position of Destination Services Manager, with the goal of
elevating the visitor experience and maintaining strong relationships with our partners and community
• Implementation of new Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Sales & Services to measure outcomes, not just activity. We are effectively reviewing these KPIs monthly to identify trends, gaps and opportunities.
• Participation in eleven industry shows, traveling almost 14,000 miles to share Sandy Springs’ assets, and networking with over 184 meeting planners at these events
• The Group Sponsorship Program had a successful first year in FY2026. We assisted groups that contracted over 1,400 room nights for our hotels, including helping to bolster stays during February and November. The Corporate and Association markets saw the greatest benefit, accounting for the majority of group business generated during this time.
• We hosted 12 site inspections, including a Mardi Gras-themed event for Etherio, an event and association management partner. Fourteen planners were treated to a unique VIP experience at the Performing Arts Center, including a lunch on the Byers Theatre stage.
• During FY26, a total of 83 groups solidified contracts with our hotels, with a total of 19,306 room nights contracted.
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Community Engagement & Advocacy Recap Throughout FY26, Visit Sandy Springs continued to strengthen its role as a trusted voice for the destination, both within the community and at the local government level. This work centered on building strong relationships with the City of Sandy Springs and local civic organizations. The organization began advocating on behalf of the hospitality and tourism industry and keeping our Board of Directors and stakeholders informed and engaged.
GPC Annual Meeting Presentation
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Advocacy efforts began this year as VSS represented the organization’s perspective directly to the City of Sandy Springs through a formal stakeholder Q&A, helping ensure alignment between VSS’s work and the City’s broader goals for the Next Chapter Comprehensive Plan. VSS’s Executive Director, Adam Berrios, further extended the organization’s presence within the regional business community by presenting at the Greater Perimeter Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting, sharing VSS’s work and priorities with a broader network of business leaders and reinforcing the destination’s connections beyond Sandy Springs proper.
Community engagement also took shape through new programming. VSS created its first Holiday Gift Guide, spotlighting local businesses across Sandy Springs. The guide offered residents and visitors a curated resource for shopping local during the holiday season while also driving visibility and foot traffic for our hospitality partners. When the world’s eyes turned to soccer this year, Visit Sandy Springs brought the excitement home with the VSS Clubhouse, a watch party activation built first and foremost for the people who call Sandy Springs home. Rather than positioning the Clubhouse as a visitor-facing attraction, VSS took a resident-first approach, creating a space where locals could gather, cheer, and celebrate the world’s biggest soccer tournament together right in their own community. The activation was part of a broader FIFA moment for Sandy Springs, which also included the eye-catching 15-foot VSS branded soccer ball at City Springs, a photoworthy centerpiece that captured the city’s soccer spirit and gave residents and visitors alike a fun, shareable way to mark the occasion.
Visit Sandy Springs Clubhouse (World Cup Activation)
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Destination Development In FY26, Visit Sandy Springs advanced several initiatives aimed at strengthening the destination’s infrastructure, accessibility, and appeal to a diverse group of audiences that included meeting planners, corporate groups, and visitors.
This work also translated into national media visibility. Sandy Springs’ accessible travel initiatives, including the Wheel the World partnership, were featured in USA Today, putting the destination’s accessibility efforts in front of a national audience. Sandy Springs was also featured by wheelchair travel blogger Cory Lee of Curb Free with Cory Lee, who highlighted accessible attractions, dining, and lodging, from the Springway Trail to adaptive kayaking and fishing programs, giving travelers with disabilities a firsthand, trusted resource for planning a visit.
In partnership with the City of Sandy Springs Recreation and Parks and Wheel the World, VSS continued its development of an accessible travel strategy, identifying opportunities to make Sandy Springs a more welcoming and accessible destination while positioning accessible travel as a sales opportunity. Building on this partnership, VSS further invested in Wheel the World accessibility verifications, so more Sandy Springs venues and experiences will carry a trusted accessibility rating for travelers with disabilities.
On the events side, VSS supported the Sandy Springs SUP Showdown, helping bring this paddleboard event to life and further establishing Sandy Springs as a home for outdoor recreation and active, experiencedriven tourism.
Recap
SUP Paddleboard giveaway
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As we look ahead, Visit Sandy Springs is entering a new chapter with a refreshed brand that reflects who we are today and where we’re headed. Our new logo represents the evolution of our destination and a renewed approach to sharing the Sandy Springs story with visitors, partners and our community. It’s a fresh look for an exciting future, built on the momentum we created together in FY26.
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50 Glenlake Parkway Suite 520, Sandy Springs, GA 30328 (770) 206-1447 | Hospitality@sandyspringsga.org VisitSandySprings.org
@VisitSandySprings