Brunswick area reporting record tourism year

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) -- Coastal Brunswick and its neighboring islands are reporting record tax figures that show how tourism is booming.<br /> <br /> The Brunswick News reports ( http://bit.ly/1pSZU9Z ) the Golden Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau, during its fiscal year that ended June 30, for the first time saw lodging tax revenues exceed $5 million. Overall lodging revenues exceeded $107 million.<br /> <br /> Scott McQuade, the CVB's executive director, says the numbers show tourism is making a strong comeback in the area, which was hit hard by the 2008 recession. His organization promotes tourism in Brunswick as well as St. Simons Island, Little St. Simons Island, Sea Island and Jekyll Island.<br /> <br /> Hotel tax revenues are a key indicator for tourism officials. And McQuade says collections in fiscal 2014 were up a whopping 34 percent compared with four years ago.

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