The Gainesville Theatre Alliance has joined with the Gainesville-Hall County Convention and Visitors Bureau to create a special overnight package for performances of "A Flea in Her Ear," which runs through tonight.

"The quality of the theater’s performances attract arts lovers from around the region," said Stacey Dickson, president of the bureau. "It is beneficial to our local economy, the hotels and restaurants, as well as the arts groups to be able to put together overnight packages for people coming in from out of town."

This program, now in its second year, increased sales by 25 percent. It was exclusively promoted to Fox Theatre patrons in Atlanta. The packages for two adults included show tickets, deluxe hotel reservations, dinner vouchers, breakfast and a gift basket.

"The cost of the packages was just under $200 each, but the economic impact more than triples that amount in terms of additional meals, visitation to area attractions and shopping," Dickson said. "Based on figures used in the tourism industry to calculate economic impact, this campaign brought nearly $10,000 in additional spending in the community."