After 40 years traveling the world, selling their venues, some destination-marketing executives would be more than ready to put away their suitcases. But not Spurgeon Richardson, the retiring head of the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB), and former president and general manager of Six Flags Over Georgia. He wants to do a lot more traveling - to all seven continents - but "as a tourist," he said, "not on sales calls," with his wife of 46 years, Mary Frances.

Richardson's jovial personality and determination helped put Atlanta on the map as an international destination. He took the helm of the CVB five years before the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games - for which he carried the flame during the torch relay. Seventeen years later, his city annually attracts 37 million guests who spend $11 billion. Richardson has served on many industry association boards and committees, and received numerous achievement awards for his endless enthusiasm for and dedication to Atlanta.

Richardson, now 67, recently spoke with Convene about his long career and his thoughts on the future of the industry. He was home, recovering from major back surgery, but the force of his Southern charm - not to mention his courtly drawl - was undiminished.

How has the industry changed in the time you've been a part of it?
When I came into this industry in 1991, a lot of people said this was a good-old-boy network. I have really seen it change. The accountability has gone up. You've got to be accountable. You've got to have goals and objectives. Professionalism of the organization has gone up. I think a good example of that is that DMAI [Destination Marketing Association International] has an accreditation program now for CVBs, which I think is great.

And competition - when I came to the bureau, there weren't many cities that could accommodate citywide meetings. Today, you've got cities all around the country that can do that. And technology - good lord, look how technology has changed this industry and will continue to do that.

Look at the international and global implications, particularly at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. It's a gateway to the world coming out of Atlanta, particularly with the new Delta flights going into China.

And advocacy - when I first came to the bureau, my job was mostly making sales calls, building relationships. Today, it's getting involved with bringing new product into the city, and working on other issues that may impact the city.

What are the biggest challenges facing destination marketing organizations for the foreseeable future?
Long-term funding is going to be a big challenge. I think educating all of the market segments is going to be very, very important, too, because people don't understand that tourism is one of our most viable industries. The feeling among some people out there is that you don't need to advertise, that people are going to come anyway, and that's just not true.

You've got to stay relevant. I mean, you've got to be willing to change. It's easy to get complacent and not change. If you do get complacent, somebody's going to go right around you, because it's so competitive out there. And another thing about staying relevant is, there are other organizations and groups out there that can do similar things that you're all doing - economic development, marketing organizations. That's why you're going to see more accountability, more professionalism.

If you look at international growth and all the challenges there are, we don't have the money to do everything we'd like to do internationally. We have to build partnerships around the region, build partnerships with the state tourism department, build relationships with the government, and allow all those people to be more creative.

And then you've got things you really can't control, like the economic downturn.

What makes Atlanta a great meetings destination?
First, you start with the infrastructure. We've got a great airport - 80 percent of the country can be here in less than two hours. We've got wonderful meeting facilities and hotels, and also the Georgia World Congress Center. So, regardless of the size of your meeting, we can accommodate you in Atlanta, and take really, really good care of you. I think that's made a big difference.

Atlanta will reinvent itself again in the next three or four years. We have [the Center for Civil & Human Rights] and the National Health Museum coming in. We have [the National Museum of Patriotism] that's coming in downtown. We've got a lot of new hotels coming, a lot of new product.

What accomplishments are you most proud of during your time with the ACVB?
If you go back to 1991 - this was pre-Olympics - we really put together a great international marketing plan for Atlanta. We really helped to put Atlanta on the map using the Olympics as a tool to do that. A lot of people in a lot of countries had not heard of Atlanta. I put together a great team that I'm really proud of in terms of sales, marketing, and public relations.

Another thing I'm proud of is technology. We got way out in front with technology. We've got one of the best Web sites you'll find anywhere. We've won awards and honors for that.

We were one of the first cities to develop a cultural tourism program. We were tenth to get a city program called CityPass. You can buy - at a discounted rate - a book of tickets that will take you to the major attractions in Atlanta. But you have to have been invited in to be a part of that program. We'll sell about 75,000 passes this year, which we are very proud of. We work with another organization in cultural tourism, AtlanTIX - that's where you buy half-price tickets like you do in New York. That's turned out to be a good program for the city.

We've also developed a comprehensive diversity program. We're known as the best place for African Americans to visit and do business in. We've won that award a couple years in a row, which I'm very thankful for.

And, I think we're the first bureau in the country to have one full-time person dedicated to raising money, generating revenue, and building partnerships. That's turned out to be really good.

What personal undertakings are you most proud of?
I'm really proud of the fact that I've had the opportunity to serve as chairman of the IAAPA [International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions] and IACVB [before it was renamed DMAI]. I'm a great believer in giving back to the community. If you take my volunteer years in the bureau, I put over 40 years in this industry. I think we have a duty and a responsibility to give back. One of my favorite quotes is: There are givers and takers in this world, and I want to be a giver because this industry has been so good to me.

What was it like working for Six Flags Over Georgia for 25 years?
Working for Six Flags was really great, because when I went to work there in 1967, there were only two other major theme parks in the country: Disneyland in California and Six Flags Over Texas. We were big news in the Southeast. I was there when it was the place to go. We had as many as three million visitors one year. It was great to be able to walk out in the park and see families together, having fun together as a family unit. Six Flags was all about family fun. I've been blessed with two great jobs - Six Flags and the CVB.

What was your favorite ride?
I like the wooden roller coasters - the clickity-clack of the wooden roller coasters. My favorite one is still the Great American Scream Machine, which I think is a great name. When we opened that ride in the first year, you could earn a red badge of courage if you could ride that ride. That was a very innovative marketing tool I thought we came up with. I was on the first load that went on the ride. I love the clickity-clack.

What's something that people would be surprised to learn about you?
I've run several half marathons in my life. I love red wine, but I really can't tell the difference between cheap red wine and expensive red wine, which is good. I've saved a lot of money on that. And, I almost ran for public office a long time ago, either U.S. Senate or governor. That's when I was young and foolish.

Peggy Swisher is managing editor of Convene.