Tourism around the world took a significant hit over the past two years, and the industry has tried to find ways to adapt, but a local tourism expert said that was not the trend seen in Hall County.
"Having so many natural resources in our community [like] parks, the lake, hiking trails, biking trails, we really did not see a huge dive in our numbers," said Stacey Dickson, President of the Lake Lanier Convention and Visitors Bureau. "What we lacked in groups that came from meetings and events we made up for in leisure travelers."
According to Dickson, day trips account for about 55% of the total visitors to the area, but the other visitors spend the night.
During the pandemic, many travelers chose vacation rentals rather than hotels. The county has roughly 200 vacation rentals, and Dickson explained that makes up for the shortfalls in hotel rooms.
"We have 12 million visitors, but we only have about 1000 sellable hotel rooms," Dickson told WDUN's Newsroom. "The Marriott that's going to be on the square in Gainesville is going to be a game-changer for downtown, and hopefully, there'll be more coming."
Many visitors are currently staying in nearby counties and driving in for the day.
With high gas prices, Dickson sees the area's proximity to larger cities as a great asset. Many Americans who may have traveled to the coast could choose to stay closer to home this year.
You can read more about the convention and visitors bureau here.
