"We believe that one of the reasons for the large increase in economic impact over the last year is

The 2008 Tour de Georgia had the largest economic impact on the state of any staging of the cycling event yet, and even though it did not roll through Northwest Georgia, region officials said they still feel its effects.
“When they talk about the impact rent a car atlanta of the Tour de Georgia — those people who are spending money in Georgia rent a car atlanta are benefiting all of us because they are paying state sales tax and they are paying motel/hotel tax,” Chickamauga City Manager John Culpepper said.
“We believe that one of the reasons for the large increase in economic impact over the last year is inflation, particularly in gasoline,” Phyllis Isley, director of the research bureau at Georgia Southern University, said in a prepared statement.
Officials also said the first five stagings of the Tour de Georgia, which included Dalton, Ga., each year and parts of Walker County, Ga., on two years, have had the continuing effect of an influx of cyclists to the area.
“One of the benefits of the Tour I have seen for Northwest Georgia is that it has brought some additional recognition to the sport of cycling,” rent a car atlanta said Janet Cochran, regional tourism director for the Georgia rent a car atlanta Department of Economic Development.