MACON, Ga. — About a tenth of people in Georgia are Hispanic or Latino, according to the 2022 census.
Jenny Howell is one of them. She works as a tour guide at Visit Macon but originally hails from Miami Beach, which she said is an extremely diverse community.
"Part of the success of that city is to be able to include so many cultures," Howell said.
Macon is also home to a variety of cultures, and 3.6% of the population is Hispanic or Latino, according to the 2022 census. That's why Victor Diaz was excited to take his family on one of the new Spanish tours.
"Perfect to get it in Spanish because, in English, we can get it too, but we miss some information," Diaz said.
The Diaz family lives in Warner Robins, but he said they enjoy coming to Macon for the music and restaurants. After their tour, they walked away with more knowledge of things to do and places to explore in Macon.
"I think it's a very interesting place. Historical, and this tour is the perfect opportunity to learn more about it," Diaz said.
The tour takes people all around town to see things like parks, historical areas, and attractions downtown.
"It's a great way to promote the destination as a city that welcomes, you know, other cultures," Howell said.
Naomi Peterson, the Visitor Services Manager at Visit Macon, said her team wanted to offer the tours in Spanish for a while but didn't have the right person for the weekend role until recently.
"We met Jenny and she was just perfect for it. She was interested, excited, and wanted to bring the knowledge of Macon and the history that is here to the Spanish-speaking population," Peterson said.
Howell said when the city includes more people, it's a win-win for everybody.
"And if they are visiting, they can leave tax dollars behind. You know, it just helps everyone that lives here," Howell said.
The Spanish tours are available the second weekend of the month, on both Friday and Saturday. To book a seat on the tour in advance, you can visit this link. Visit Macon also takes walk-ins if there are seats available, and they are first come, first serve.