Thousands of visitors will be in Walker County this weekend for the 145th anniversary of the Battle of Chickamauga, and officials said the mega-event will boost the region’s economy.

“It is a huge tourism event,” Stephanie Snodgrass, director of tourism and public relations for the Walker County Chamber of Commerce, said.

Organizers tried to ensure that visitors pass through the major cities in the area, from Chattanooga to LaFayette, John Culpepper, Chickamauga City Manager, historian and event organizer, said.

“We are trying to make it for our communities,” he said.

Directions on the event’s Web site guide visitors through different cities in the region, depending on where they come from. Signs surround the event site point the way to historic downtown Chickamauga.

Mr. Culpepper said the event, which has been a long-time dream of his, may attract 20,000-30,000 people to the McLemore Cove location.

“This is very exciting to me,” he said. “This is going to be a major event in the history of Walker County.”

Walker County officials, specifically those such as Mr. Culpepper in Chickamauga, have been planning this event for years, and have worked to tap into heritage tourism, which is promoting history as visitor draws.

Mr. Culpepper has worked to make his city the “Gettysburg of the South,” he said.

Tourism is Georgia’s second-largest industry, and some experts said visitors who are interested in history tend to spend more money. Hotels in the area have been promoting discount packages along with this weekend’s event for months, and many are booked up, Mr. Culpepper said.

Ms. Snodgrass said as visitors enter the area, it is inevitable that they will spend money.

“Tourists will stay in are hotels, eat at local restaurants, visit other attractions and generally invest money in the local economy,” she said.

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