Friday, October 18, 2019
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice has announced that the state’s tourism industry grew for the second consecutive year in 2018. The two-year growth trend reverses years of decline and surpasses national growth by 58 percent.
Traveler spending in West Virginia grew at a rate of 6.5 percent totaling $4.55 billion in 2018.
To quote Justice, “It’s an incredible time to be a West Virginian. This state is on the move, and so is our tourism industry. When I took office, I made tourism a top priority, because I knew it had all the potential in the world. All we had to do is find a way to tell our story, and we’re finally doing it. We have an absolute superstar in tourism commissioner Chelsea Ruby. I congratulate her and the entire tourism commission for all their hard work to help make this growth possible. I am committed to making sure our tourism industry grows for many more years to come!”
Under Justice’s supervision, traveler spending in West Virginia has grown 9.9 percent in just two years. State and local tax revenue, and tourism-supported jobs also went up in 2018.
Travel-generated spending in West Virginia dropped more than 14 percent from 2012 to 2016. But in 2017, this trend got reversed, and spending grew by 3.9 percent, going past the national growth rate.
Tags: West Virginia tourism
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