Economy Plays Role in Tourist Visits to Area Counties
STAFF REPORT(Editor's Note: This the third and final segment in a series that explores the economic effects of tourism on the regional area.)
For years, West Virginia has been known for its coal and timber industries. But more recently tourism is becoming a factor in the area's economy. This summer's tourism season fared well for some counties, but others saw little to no change in tourist dollars.
The summer tourism season went very well for Randolph's northern neighbor, Tucker County, according to Tucker County Chamber of Commerce Director Bill Smith.
"We entered the season with a lot of question marks due to spiking gas prices," Smith said. "We got the opposite effect. We expected a downturn, but our June, July and August were very strong.
"Overall, 2008 was a big gain for tourism in Tucker County," he said.
Smith said the high gas prices benefited the area because it forced people to make shorter trips. Smith said many of the attractions in Tucker County are 300 miles from the metropolitan areas such as Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Md.
"People were taking long weekend trips instead of taking long vacations," Smith said. "My gut feeling is that all the hotels were very pleased."
Smith said Mountaineer Days and the July 4 celebration in Thomas drew a large number of people, and Pickin' in Parsons, an annual bluegrass celebration, drew record attendance.
"The fact that there is so much green space and public land draw a large number of people to the area," Smith said.
Smith said Tucker County usually stays cooler than surrounding areas because of the elevation.
"It is usually 8 to 10 degrees cooler here than in Elkins," Smith said. "It gets hot and humid in those metro areas and the people like to come here to cool down.
Canaan Valley Resort Public Relations Director Brian Brown said the numerous attractions at the resort helped keep a large number of people coming to the resort, but as the summer progressed it seemed there were fewer people.
"Overall, it was a positive summer for occupancy at the resort," Brown said. "Summer started strong, but slacked off toward the end due to a bad economy, high gas prices and bad weather."
Those who use the resort are often from the metro Washington, D.C. area, Brown said. Brown said the resort hosted special events nearly every other weekend. He said events such as the Alpine Fest, the barbecue cook-off and the Purple Fiddle Fest brought more people to the area.
"The events over the summer really helped bring people," Brown said. "The combination of our location, scenery and amenities resulted in a very positive tourism season."
Brown said the resort hopes to continue the success of the summer into this fall before ski season begins.
"We have strong demands for fall reservations due to the leaves changing color and our fall events," Brown said.
Timberline Resort Marketing and Public Relations Manager Jessica Scowcroft said Timberline experienced a "normal" summer.
"We had steady business throughout the summer," Scowcroft said. "There definitely was not any larger crowds this summer, but it was very steady."
She said some events such as the resort's ATV races had lower registration this year due to the high gas prices, but the spectator crowds were very large. She said successful events such as the West Virginia HOG Rally motorcycle show and the ATV races kept the resort busy throughout the summer. She also said the resort's Frontier Weekend was a huge success.
Scowcroft, like Brown, is looking forward to a successful fall season with downhill mountain bike races and scenic trail rides.
In Barbour County, Jack Carpenter, owner of Laurel Mountain Inn in Belington, said he saw his biggest increase in business during the spring and summer months. He said tourism has helped and he attributes the increase in business to people traveling through Belington to other destinations.
"We get a lot of people stop by that are passing through on their way to Audra or other places," Carpenter said. "The railroad also brings in quite a few people, but the price of gas has really hurt. I've had people tell me, 'I would come down and eat, but by the time I buy gas and groceries there just isn't enough money left over.'"
In Philippi, Medallion owner Kevin Lyons said business has been up this summer, but he doesn't attribute it to tourism. He said the high gas prices may have had a positive effect on his business.
"Business has been well, but I don't think it's from people passing by," Lyons said. "I think the business is coming from people in town who don't want to travel to buy a meal. With the price of gas, I think I'm seeing more customers stay local than travel to Clarksburg, or Buckhannon or Elkins."
Barbour County Economic Development Authority Director Lisa Sharp said the organization is not actively working on any particular project, but it does continue to support existing opportunities within the county. She said major tourist attractions include Adaland Mansion, Audra State Park and the Philippi Covered Bridge. She said the railroad also has "great potential" and the authority hopes to work with it to expand.
"I think at the development authority, we see tourism as a integral part of economic development in our county," Sharp said. "As the state continues to grow as a tourism destination, we hope to recognize similar growth along those lines."
Tourism in Upshur County was great over the summer with several events to draw people to the area, according to Lori Ulderich Harvey, Upshur County CVB executive director.
"This has been a great year for visitors coming to Buckhannon," she said. "We have had people from several states make their way to Buckhannon this year.
"The biggest event we had to draw people was the annual West Virginia's Largest Yard Sale held in August," she said. "We had people from as far away as California, Florida and many other states attending."
Most everyone said they enjoyed the events from festival and fairs along with many other activities and also the beauty of the area, according to Harvey.
"On a whole, the events were really good," Harvey said. "They did a lot to promote Upshur County."
With gas prices what they are, businesses in Pocahontas County are reporting a good summer with very little change from previous years.
"We won't have the statistics until the final event of the summer," Laura Parquette, communications coordinator for Snowshoe Mountain Resort, said. "But based on event participation, it was great summer for us."
Parquette cited a decline in participation in motorcycling events, and attributed it to the nature of the event.
Other events the resort hosted, including the Symphony and October Fest Weekends, were similar in attendance to previous years, according to Parquette.
Ashley and Heather Ness, organizers of the fourth annual Monarch Butterfly Festival at Snowshoe Mountain Resort this past August, reported, "A very good and very successful event."
"The festival was better than previous years and would have been a huge success if not for the high gas prices and the economy being what it is," Ashley Ness said.
Anita Withrow, house manager for the Pearl S. Buck Museum, said the number of tourists visiting Buck's birthplace averaged about the same or maybe a little less compared to last year. The museum gift shop also reported a slight decline in sales.
"I blame it on the gas situation," Withrow said.
Withrow said spring and fall are usually busy months.
According to Mike Holstine, business manager for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, tourism has grown every year since the center opened, and last year they had more than 48,000 visitors.
Although they were concerned with the gas situation since the center is off the beaten track, Holstine indicated the number of visitors was about the same as previous years, though sales were down in the gift shop.
"We had a good summer considering gas prices," Susie Murphy, owner of the Boyer Motel and Restaurant in Pocahontas County, said.
"The motel occupancy was down a little, though we did get two new groups this year," she said. "But business at the restaurant was up."
High gas prices have led people to stay closer to home, make shorter drives and spend less and Pocahontas County is a destination that offers many economical and fun attractions, according to Abbey Withrow, director of Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
"Overall, this summer has been great from what I've heard," Withrow said.
According to Dave Caplinger, superintendent at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, "Train ticket sales were down slightly this year, about 2.5 percent, but house rentals were pretty strong, equal or better than last year."
Caplinger estimated gift shop sales to be almost even from last year.
Seneca State Forest had a good year. According to Caplinger, it was an improvement over last year, with visits up, cabin occupancy up 8 percent and campground occupancy up 10 percent.
Lewis County Convention and Visitors Bureau director Chris Richards said tourism is up by at least 25 percent, if not more, across the county, a trend she expects to continue through the rest of the year.
"Some individual events were up even more than that," she said, noting that the annual county fair saw increased attendance.
Richards said people calling her agency for information has increased significantly, and the events planned for the fall and winter months should help lure tourists to the area.
The increase in tourism can be partly attributed to higher gasoline prices, forcing people to take shorter trips this past summer. But Lewis County has also benefited from the addition of new events which have targeted specific groups.
The Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum began offering tours again this summer, and it greatly was helped by the exposure on the popular Sci Fi Channel series "Ghost Hunters." The team combed the cavernous hallways of the old state mental hospital and later declared the place to be haunted by the restless spirits of those there before. The "Ghost Hunters" team returned in July to a sold-out weekend chock full of curiosity seekers who wanted to be trained to track down trapped souls.
Hotel rooms were booked weeks in advance for those traveling into Weston for the weekends, and restaurants across the region reported seeing an increase in business.
The Jordan family, the owners of the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, also began sponsoring Mud Bogs on the grounds of the old hospital, bringing in large crowds to watch trucks of all sizes send mud spinning.
The business conducted at the former Weston State Hospital will be a bonus for county coffers, as the land is now in private hands. Property and sales tax can now be collected, as can some Weston municipal fees.
Because the project is partially within the city limits, city coffers will see a swell with business license and building permit fees from those construction groups working to restore the facility.
The Weston Antique Fair, another relatively new event, saw the streets of the downtown area flowing with bargain seekers. The first-ever classic car parade and oldies concert at Stonewall Resort brought in a group wanting to rekindle memories of days long gone. The newly formed Mountain Lakes Convention and Visitors Bureau staged its first-ever Stonewall Jackson Triathlon, which benefited the local Chamber of Commerce. Held on the grounds of Stonewall Resort, many of the out-of-town participants took advantage of the discount rooms offered within walking and biking distance of the starting point.
Richards said the increase in tourist traffic should continue through the remainder of the year, and she said information is being sought for several upcoming events. Some of those events include the Fall Festival in October on the grounds of the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. The new Meatball Festival in Weston and Lambert's Winery's annual open house are slated for the fall. The Hillbilly Music Festival is also scheduled for the fall.
November is also the time for Christmas parades in both Weston and Jane Lew. WVU Jackson's Mill holds its annual Winter Lights Celebration in December.
