Peachtree City tourism budget slashed for FY2021

With events and hotel bookings down considerably in 2020 because of COVID-19 limitations, the Peachtree City Convention & Visitors Bureau has had to make drastic cuts for the next fiscal year.

The City Council voted 5-0 at its July 16 meeting to accept the $404,067 FY2021 budget already approved by the CVB board, which reflects a 60 percent total reduction in operating expenses from last year’s nearly $1 million budget. Kym Hughes, the CVB’s executive director, told the council that hotel tax revenue is down by half so far this year, which has required the organization to cut three part-time staff members and one staff member shared with the city, as well as enact pay cuts for the three remaining employees.

The CVB has also axed 85 percent of its advertising budget and will rely on “more grassroots marketing strategies” until tax revenue rebounds. Hughes said Peachtree City hotels are seeing more weekend bookings rather than the usual convention and business stays.