West Virginia Tourism Secretary speaks at Lewis Chamber event; highlights county's, region's and state's successes

Ruby praised Lewis County and the CVB for their efforts in promoting the area, saying there is strong local support for attracting visitors to the region.

“All indications are we have a really, really bright future ahead,” Ruby said, noting that Lewis County is on track to pass previous visitor numbers.

She encouraged using the New River Gorge National Park to the advantage of local attractions. By doing so, visitors will be more inclined to stay longer in the state than the average two and one-half days, she said.

Calling herself a data nerd, Ruby also noted that surveys have shown people are interested in visiting uncrowded areas with small towns and outdoor recreation opportunities. She praised West Virginia for already offering those, even prior to COVID-19, adding that four resorts opened in the state during the pandemic.

“We continue to shine as a new, up-and-coming destination,” Ruby said, referencing the state’s popularity with out-of-state visitors.

She also discussed how research continues to show that tourism advertising improves West Virginia’s image as a place to live, start a business, attend college or retire. Sixty percent of those who saw at least one West Virginia tourism ad stated they would “probably or definitely take a trip to West Virginia in the next 12 months,” she said.

Adding to this push in tourism advertising is a public-private partnership fund that has purchased more than $10 million in advertising to support nearly 100 tourism businesses across the state since it began in 2017.

The Lewis County CVB participates in the program, which requires an 80/20 match.

Richards said that over 400,000 tourists visited Lewis County last year, and there has been a huge bump in hotel/motel tax revenue after passage of a law that taxes Airbnb rentals. These tax dollars help fund Lewis County parks and its public library.

“Tourism is up in Lewis County,” Richards said, encouraging those who are hosting upcoming events to contact the CVB for inclusion in its events calendar.

Ruby said that in the previous two years, there has been more emphasis on the outdoors, and even businesses in other categories can use that to their advantage, including restaurants. The state is kicking off a Chef Ambassador program, an initiative to profile dining across the state.

“West Virginia is a great place to come visit,” Ruby said, adding that residents are taking advantage of in state activities, as well. “We’ve seen more West Virginians travel in West Virginia.”