A new strategy to keep visitors coming to Hall

BRASELTON - At a meeting at Road Atlanta Tuesday morning, the wraps were taken off a new strategy for keeping Hall County tourism afloat during the recession.

Lake Lanier Convention and Visitors Bureau president Stacey Dickson unveiled a new website and a new focus on Hall's number one attraction, Lake Lanier, saying the goal is to make Lanier a destination point.

"If we focus on our lake as the destination it was born to be, it will grow to the full level of its economic forecast that it's able to attract," Dickson said.

Dickson said Gov. Sonny Perdue would come to the lake next Wednesday to cut the ribbon on Laurel Park's new mega boat ramp, built to accommodate next year's national fishing tournament on the lake.

Road Atlanta president Geoff Lee said he expects racing fans will do their best to ignore the economic hard times and attend Road Atlanta events this year; Road Atlanta is Hall County's number two tourist attraction.

"Even with the tougher economy they still seem to find time to come out on those major weekends," Lee said."We'd like to think we're infusing some capital on here on our big weekends."