Savannah tourism officials look to busy fall after slower summer

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - After a slower-than-usual summer, Savannah tourism officials are looking to a busy fall calendar to bring more visitors to the city.

Hotel occupancy fell to 65% in July and August, down 5 percentage points from the same period last year, according to Visit Savannah. The first six months of the year performed as expected, said Joseph Marinelli, president and CEO of Visit Savannah.

Marinelli said several factors contributed to the summer decline, including rising travel costs and warmer-than-usual weather in July and August, which may have kept some visitors closer to home.

Still, he said Savannah has a packed calendar of events heading into the fall and winter.

The Savannah Jazz Festival is underway this weekend, followed by the Savannah Bananas’ playoff games in October and the Southeastern Conference Women’s Volleyball Championship in November.

Officials expect the events to bring an influx of out-of-town visitors and provide a boost to local businesses.

“After that, then it’s what we call Savannah Holly-Days,” Marinelli said. “It’s the promotion that we promote all of the activities that are happening between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.”

Visit Savannah is also looking ahead to 2027, with Marinelli saying the organization remains optimistic about the city’s tourism outlook.

Local retailers and restaurants are already preparing promotions aimed at encouraging visitors to spend their travel dollars in Savannah, officials said.