Turtles Invade Hartsfield-Jackson Airport

DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM I

Turtles Invade Hartsfield-Jackson Airport
By Herschel J. Grangent, Jr.

Passengers will soon have to get used to seeing turtles crawling at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Catherine Arning from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center is shown with sea turtle "Toby" on Jekyll Island.

In a unique marketing partnership, the State of Georgia and the City of Atlanta have teamed up to promote the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island. The center, first of its kind in the state, is slated to open in late July. It will be a state-of-the-art rehabilitation facility and interactive learning museum.

Following the center’s opening, travelers going in and out of Hartsfield-Jackson will be able to preview happenings there and on Jekyll Island, through a specially-designed tourism center in the Airport’s Atrium.

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is a first for Georgia. It was designed as a research center, as well as a facility to be enjoyed by the general public,” said Bill Donohue, executive director of the Jekyll Island Authority. “What better venue to showcase this great state resource than at the hub of travel for both the state and country?”

Airports traditionally promote tourism in their respective cities or states through billboards or kiosks. The Georgia Sea Turtle Center’s Airport location will be an interactive storefront stopping place for visitors, employees and passengers.

Georgia Sea Turtle

In addition to gathering information and buying souvenirs, visitors can watch sea turtles residing at the Sea Turtle Center through a live television feed.

“Quite often travelers come through Hartsfield-Jackson simply to change planes, never leaving the premises,” said Aviation General Manager Benjamin DeCosta. “As the virtual handshake hello and wave goodbye for many of the visitors to this state, it is imperative that we make a positive impression on them. This unique exhibit will help us do that.”

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center’s tourism storefront will be located near the main security checkpoint area in the Atrium. Like the Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island, it is expected to open in early June.