September 17th, 2024 by WCBC Radio

Despite a global pandemic, tourism spending in West Virginia has grown more than 40% – or nearly $2 billion in annual spending since 2017.  Governor Jim Justice announced that the industry’s total economic impact approached $9 billion in 2023. Tourist volume to the state reached 75 million visitors last year.  During the Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Charleston, state Tourism Secretary Chelsea Ruby presented the Governor with a lifetime achievement award for his assistance to tourism…

“The West Virginia Tourism industry has never had a champion for tourism like Governor Justice.  The Governor has supported the industry like no one ever has before. The Governor has invested in the industry like never before – and he’s delivered for the industry. So even though he has a thousand things to do, he stays really involved with this. He knows every ad that’s going out; he’s constantly looking at performance, helping me manage that and monitor that.”