Tourism

Georgia’s coast draws visitors with its largely intact barrier islands, tidal marshes and remote natural landscapes.

These hard-to-reach habitats support abundant wildlife, making the region a popular destination for birding, wildlife viewing, and nature photography. At the same time, these ecosystems are fragile, limited access gives wildlife space to rest, feed, and reproduce, but growing tourism and coastal population increases are putting new pressures on these environments. 

Georgia’s tourism industry drives significant growth and prosperity for local communities. Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant strives to support the coastal tourism industry in ways that strengthen local economies while promoting sustainable, socially responsible use of coastal resources.

Resources

Coastal Stewards Program 

The Coastal Stewards Program provides resources to help adults, families, educators, and communities understand Georgia’s coastal ecosystems and the issues affecting them. These materials encourage responsible use of coastal resources and support environmental stewardship through education and outreach.

The Coastal Stewards Curriculum is designed for educators, community organizations, and outreach partners working with adult and multi-age audiences. It offers a collection of lessons, activities, and instructional resources to integrate coastal stewardship topics into workshops, events, and educational programming.

Stewardship Shorts 

Stewardship Shorts are 1–2 page downloadable fact sheets that communicate conservation challenges and practical stewardship solutions along Georgia’s coast. Each includes background information, actionable steps, and links to organizations working on coastal issues.

Available topics include:

• Watersheds and Stormwater
• Boat the Coast
• Coastal Cuisine
• Coastal Inspirations
• Estuary Etiquette
• Beach Behavior
• Wetland Wisdom
• Fish the Coast
• Resilient Coastal Living
• Water Conservation