Call for more joint promotion of Hall area tourism

GAINESVILLE - A Gainesville man who owns a chain of motels Tuesday called for more public-private promotion of the area.

John McKibbon III, president of McKibbon Hotel Properties, spoke at the weekly meeting of the Gainesville Kiwanis Club.

McKibbon also said it would be detrimental to local tourism if the Chicopee Ag Center were closed - and he called for privatizing the Georgia Mountains Center.

Both possibilities have been explored by local governments in recent months.

McKibbon, who praised the work of the Gainesville-Hall County Convention & Visitors Bureau, said the Gainesville-Hall County area is losing thousands of dollars every year by not bringing government and business together to promote the area.