College Park Ends ATL Airport District Partnership
The city plans its own destination marketing agency as a state review of the split continues.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Business Travel
Live Poll
Do you trust your city government to run its own tourism marketing well?
The City of College Park is continuing plans to create its own destination marketing agency and will no longer work with the ATL Airport District, which currently serves as the Destination Marketing Organization for College Park, Hapeville, South Fulton, Fairburn, and Union City.
Why it matters
The split is being contested at the state level after the ATL Airport District filed a challenge with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs in June. The outcome will determine how hotel-motel tax revenue is managed for the city's tourism promotion.
College Park's new DMO selection covers Fiscal Year 2026-2027 following a public RFP process reviewed by the Finance Office and a sub-committee. The Georgia Hotel-Motel Tax Performance Review Board reversed the city's separation after the district's challenge, and College Park has appealed.
The players
ATL Airport District
The Destination Marketing Organization that has served College Park, Hapeville, South Fulton, Fairburn, and Union City, and which challenged the city's separation.
Christopher Nunn
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs Commissioner who is scheduled to issue the final decision on the dispute on Dec. 1.
The details
College Park cited performance issues and unanswered written requests for sales data, contract leads, and event information during the FIFA World Cup as reasons for the change. The city has not received notice or a copy of the ATL Airport District's supplemental complaint, and it plans to share additional data on operating reserves, payroll, and hotel-motel tax contributions.
Timeline
June: ATL Airport District filed its challenge with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
Monday: The performance board held a hearing and released two findings with no final decision.
Dec. 1: DCA Commissioner Christopher Nunn is scheduled to announce the final decision.
Business Travel Outlook
The dispute runs through Georgia's Hotel-Motel Tax Performance Review Board, the state body that oversees how local hotel-motel tax funds are used for tourism promotion. How the board resolves College Park's appeal will shape how other metro cities can exit regional marketing partnerships.
Visitors and businesses that rely on College Park's tourism promotion may see changes in how the city markets itself once its new agency is in place. The timing of the state's final ruling will determine when those changes take effect.
The takeaway
Local tourism funding disputes between cities and regional marketing organizations can stretch across state review processes, so the final ruling will set the precedent for how such exits proceed. Readers tracking travel promotion budgets should watch the December decision.
What happens next
The DCA Commissioner is scheduled to announce a final decision on the dispute on Dec. 1.
Further reading
Explore more on Business Travel coverage for College Park readers.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta.
Live Poll
Do you trust your city government to run its own tourism marketing well?
