FAIRHOPE, Ala. — The Alabama Governor’s Conference on Tourism (AGCT), a joint conference sponsored by the Alabama Travel Council, Alabama Bureau of Tourism & Travel, Alabama Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus and the Alabama Hospitality Association, announced the 2009/2010 conference will be hosted by The Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce and the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa. The announcement was made at the 2008 Governors conference which was recently held in Birmingham.

The Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce Tourism Council, chaired by Bill Tunnell of the USS Battleship Alabama, is developing a committee to work on a variety of activities and functions that will be held during the conference, which draws over 300 statewide tourism professionals. Heiko Einfeld of the Fairhope Holiday Inn Express will chair the committee. The event is scheduled for Aug. 31-Sept. 3, 2009. It has been at least a decade since the conference was last held on the Eastern Shore.

“Thanks to the generosity of the Grand Hotel, the hard work of Rene Browning, sales director of Point Clear Holding Resorts and the strength of our Tourism Council, we were able to win the conference,” said Darrelyn Bender, president/CEO of the ESCoC. “We will be working with area partners to ensure the attendees have an unforgettable, enjoyable experience.”

Tourism contributed $9.3 billion to Alabama’s economy in 2007 and supported 170,000 jobs statewide. An estimated 22.4 million people visited the state last year.

Any groups or businesses that would like to be a part of the conference committee plans, please contact Jay Hasting, director of tourism at 621-8222.