Tourism and economic development in West Virginia play a vital role in driving growth and enhancing the quality of life throughout the Mountain State. Known for its breathtaking mountains, outdoor adventures, historic landmarks, and welcoming small towns, West Virginia attracts visitors year-round, boosting local businesses, restaurants, and lodging. This thriving tourism industry fuels economic development by creating jobs, supporting small businesses, and encouraging investment in infrastructure and community revitalization. By promoting its natural beauty, rich heritage, and expanding industries, West Virginia continues to strengthen its economy and offer new opportunities for both residents and visitors.
Governor Jim Justice announced today that West Virginia’s tourism industry grew for the second consecutive year in 2018. The two-year growth trend reverses years of decline and outpaces national growth by 58 percent, he said. The finding comes from yearly economic impact research released just on the heels of the industry’s annual Governor’s Conference on … Read more
An innovative new ice cream parlor, “I Scream Sundae,” is attracting dessert fanatics to Ripley, where the rural small-town atmosphere was parlor-ready. Banking on the lyrics of the zany 1927 song Ice Cream (“I scream! You scream! We all scream for ice cream!”), the business is building a menu based on screamingly funny puns and … Read more
Rich in lore and history, Point Pleasant, West Virginia, has been chosen as the recipient of a branding project by West Virginia University designed to promote tourism and economic development. Home of the Mothman legend and a turning-point battle with the Shawnee, it’s also a community on the rise, says Rita Colistra, associate professor at … Read more
The West Virginia Tourism Office’s new television commercials took the industry’s top honor at the U.S. Travel Association’s Mercury Awards on Aug. 20, according to Tourism Commissioner Chelsea Ruby. The Tourism Office and its renowned “Almost Heaven, West Virginia” campaign was recognized by the National Council of State Tourism Directors in the category Broadcast Advertising: … Read more
West Virginia’s Birthday social campaign last week reached more than 26 million social media users, thanks to thousands of fans of West Virginia who shared their love of the state. The state is top-of-mind for travelers this summer, thanks to record-breaking participation in the West Virginia Tourism Office’s West Virginia Week Challenge, according to Commissioner … Read more
Rural Sistersville, West Virginia, might seem a curious place for a village of high-style architecture, but then the oil rush that brought prosperity here in the 1890s was nothing less than exceptional. Folks had always assumed black gold bubbled beneath the hills, but it wasn’t until an enterprising farmer learned the trick to drilling there … Read more
Lonely Hero Games, a new board game development company founded by two Beckley natives, has launched its first game, “Bank Heist” on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. Jared Kaplan and Christopher Kincaid grew up in Beckley, where Kaplan still resides, while Kincaid moved to Morgantown. Kaplan says the pair believe that creating and launching their company … Read more
Is your community suffering from the appearance of its old industrial or commercial sites—otherwise known as brownfields? The West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center at West Virginia University is seeking communities that would like to apply for up to $5,000 in redevelopment assistance. According to Patrick Kirby, a spokesman for the Foundations for Overcoming Challenges and … Read more
A new national heritage area established in March will attract financing and tourism to eastern West Virginia and western Maryland—a region that encompasses millions of acres of forest and some of the state’s best-known scenic landscapes. The Smoke Hole Countryside[/caption] Phyllis Baxter, executive director for the heritage area, says visitors and residents can expect to … Read more
Many businesses in Greenbrier and Pocahontas counties may be eligible for benefits as a result of their locations in federally designated “Historically Underutilized Business Zones” or “HUBZones.” The Robert C. Byrd Institute is joining the U.S. Small Business Administration and Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation March 26 in presenting a free workshop on the matter … Read more
