Day: November 21, 2019

Changing Leaves Are Helping a Changing Tourism Industry in WV

By: Emmy Rinehart

West Virginia needs money, and they may soon lose a big source of income due to the push for renewable energy moving away from coal. 

Tourism in WV is using the fall foliage as a way to increase revenue for the state by drawing people in with the breathtaking WV landscapes that are painted in astonishing warm hues during the fall season. 

The WV tourism industry is rebranding the state to focus on all the ways to enjoy the natural beauty that is so present here. According to a recent study done by a leading national firm for tourism economic research, the state has seen a 6.5% growth in the tourism industry in 2018, which made the industry worth soar to $4.55 billion. This growth is something Jim Justice has championed during his time in office. 

One neat way WV Tourism and Forestry has worked to bring in more tourism in the fall is with a leaf color tracking map where people can tweet their photos of WV foliage with the hashtag “AlmostHeaven”. Some of these photos are picked to be featured on the WV Tourism and Forestry page on the map with descriptions of the location and what you can do there. 

Although this year is supposed to be a bad year for fall foliage in the south because of the drought making leaves immediately turn brown, the north is still seeing great color even though the changing of the leaves was late this season.

WV Tourism also offers a Fall Inspiration Guide of must-see stops, travel tips and hidden gems in WV in the fall that are more beautiful during this time of year to encourage people to visit now. The site also offers suggestions of routes to drive to experience the fall foliage at various elevations that provide the best road-trip views.

You can follow pictures of the fall foliage with the hashtag #AlmostHeaven on Twitter and Instagram. 

The state is learning to embrace it’s unique and beautiful landscapes as a source of revenue within the tourism department, and by the views they share on their website and all of the amazing things you can do in WV, it sure looks like #AlmostHeaven.