Gainesville and Hall County are riding the coattails of a vibrant tourism industry that local officials are hopeful will carry over into the new year. Visitors to Hall County spent almost $300 million in the local economy, according to a report published earlier this year by the U.S. Travel Association that tracked 2015 tourism-related economic impact at the state, regional and county levels. Based on expenditure levels generated by visitors, Hall ranked 12th among Georgia’s 159 counties, the Travel report found.