Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce Gets a New Look

The Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce has a new look, a new sign and so much new stuff; it's hard to believe that they weren't in place before. After the old chamber sign was shredded, literally, as it was basically all rotted wood barely hanging on the eave in front of the center, the chamber revealed the new look.

Alan May, the former director of the chamber, revealed a new visitor's guide for Gilmer County, which he states "there has never been one here that I know of." The visitor's guide gives tourists a quick glimpse at the many wonderful things to do, see and stay in Gilmer County. Since the area has been deemed 'the mountain bike capital of Georgia,' the guide shows all the areas that recreational outdoorsmen can partake in during their visit to Ellijay, East Ellijay and Gilmer County. It also lists other exciting activities that are available for visitors, such as the annual corn mazes, the u-pick orchards, festivals and much more.

The guide was a joint effort between the chamber and Downtown Ellijay Merchants Association (DEMA), to help promote the tourism industry here in Gilmer. According to state records, last year alone, tourism brought in over $26 million to businesses in the Gilmer. The chamber and DEMA are hoping that number increases this year. The guide will be posted at every visitor's center and bureau at the state line, including the centers in Florida, Tennessee, Alabama and North Carolina. Nearly 10,000 guides have already been sent out to the bureaus and centers.

Along with the new visitor's guide is a new Web site. The Web site offers an interactive map of the entire county, as well as links to information on attractions and guides. There are three main areas to the Web site: the chamber itself, a visitor's area and a relocation area. The relocation area provides all the necessary information for individuals hoping to make Gilmer their new home.

There is information there for residents as well, with a calendar of happenings in the county, as well as links to area merchants. The Web site was launched at the first of the month, and has already received numerous requests for visitor's guide to be mailed out.