A tax break to promote new Georgia tourist attractions remains unavailable to businesses more than 16 months after the governor signed it into law, and the prolonged wait has already caused Jekyll Island to lose convention business worth about $3.8 million.

State officials say the tax break signed in May 2011 is more complex than most and it's taking longer to write necessary regulations.

That's bad news for Jekyll Island, where Georgia taxpayers have invested $50 million to build a new convention center and other amenities. The developer of its main convention hotel couldn't break ground this month because it needed the tax break to secure a $25 million loan.

Jekyll Island spokesman Eric Garvey says the hotel delay caused seven groups to back out of convention plans for 2014.

Tags: Jekyll Island, tax break, Georgia tourist attractions, convention hotel