ELKINS — Elkins Depot Welcome Center officials reflected on last year’s accomplishments and laid out plans for 2026 before Elkins City Council.

During Council’s most recent meeting, representatives with the Welcome Center’s Board of Directors gave a presentation regarding the center’s successes in 2025.

“When I was appointed for this position 13 years ago as the executive director of the Welcome Center, I would not have imagined it would have transformed into the entity it is today,” Welcome Center Executive Director Anne Beardslee said. “What began as an effort to welcome guests to Randolph County and provide them with pertinent information has now evolved into a major economic driver for this area.”

In 2025, the Welcome Center saw at least 19,193 guests from around the world, with around 39,061 brochures handed out across the state, Welcome Center volunteer manager Wanda Schoonover explained. In total, the Welcome Center is estimated to have served more than 602,000 guests in the last 20 years.

Marketing Director Benjamin Duvall-Irwin said the center’s on-going investment in marketing “continues to yield more impressive results each year.” The center saw across-the-board growth in digital channels in 2025, especially regarding the center’s email and social media.

“We continue to post a variety of fresh content on our social media pages,” Duvall-Irwin said. “Publish blogs, local events and update attraction listings on our website, and share news and travel inspiration through our email newsletter.”

In 2025, the center’s social media pages saw more than six million views and almost 36,000 followers, Duvall-Irwin explained. The center’s website saw around 321,000 views in 2025, while there was a 30% increase in the number of people signed up for the center’s email newsletter, bringing the number subscribed to around 16,000.

With an emphasis on video production and digital advertising in regional and national publications, the Welcome Center continued to participate in the state Department of Tourism’s Cooperative Advertising Program last year, Duvall-Irwin said. The Department of Tourism matched the center’s marketing funds of $17,500, giving the center $35,000 to use in advertising in 2025.

Last year, the Welcome Center also debuted its Artistic by Nature video campaign, which highlighted “art experiences and cultural events in the area.” Duvall-Irwin said the video has been viewed approximately 1,108,035 times.

“Today, I’m very happy to report that Randolph County has seen growth in Hotel/Motel Tax to almost $650,000 a year,” Beardslee said. “In 2025, total spending by tourists in Randolph County reached almost $96 million, and provided funding for over 1,000 jobs, and our marketing budget was able to jump to $175,000… We are now able to have a professional staff of three and an AmeriCorps member, which is allowing us the time to expand our efforts and continue to grow this organization forward.”

In 2026, the Welcome Center plans to focus more on the area’s fairs and festivals, such as the Mountain State Forest Festival and Coalton Days. A new video campaign highlighting the area’s events will be utilized throughout the year.

The center will also roll out a new Visitors Appreciation Card, which will reward visitors who come to Randolph County and incentivize them to spend their money locally. The card provides exclusive offers and discounts at participating counties. Cards can be picked up at the Welcome Center or at participating businesses.

“As we celebrate our 20th year, I’m excited and extremely grateful to the Randolph County Commission and the City of Elkins for trusting us with this enormous responsibility, and giving us the opportunity to achieve these successes and to play a role in the growth and future of this county,” Beardslee said.