Published: May 16, 2008 10:17 pm         

Gas too steep? Visit your back yard

Tourism official touts vacations in West Virginia

Now that gas prices are threatening to explode right into orbit, West Virginia tourism leaders feel this could be a good summer for folks to stay home and check out some of the gems in their backyard.

This is National Tourism Week, a fitting time for state leaders to map strategy for maintaining a $3.97 billion industry in West Virginia, one that provides 44,000 full- and part-time jobs.

“One of the things that Tourism Industry of America, and other such organizations, and what we’re hopeful, is that people will continue to travel,” Tourism Commissioner Betty Carver said Friday.

“But they’re going to try to do it in a way where they may have to sort of switch up how they spend those dollars.”

Fuel pumps read $3.95 across Beckley heading into the weekend, and some experts are calling for a 1 percent decline in travel over the long Memorial Day weekend.

“Certainly, there is a great concern, here at the state level, as well as nationally, as to just how it will affect travel,” Carver acknowledged.

“It may be that you go ahead and do your travel but you stay perhaps closer to home. You pay attention to what you’re putting into dinners out, maybe not as many upscale dinners or something like that.”

In one regard, the rising fuel prices could be a blessing in disguise for in-state tourist favorites, since it would tend to keep West Virginians home rather than embark on multi-state vacation forays.

Anyone with that in mind can readily check out the attractions on the West Virginia Division of Tourism’s colorful and quick reads via its Web site, www.callwva.com, or by simply calling the agency at 1-800-CALL WVA.

“We have two different audiences that we are very interested in,” Carver said. “One is attracting the out-of-state tourist to come into the state to spend their leisure time.”

Toward that end, the agency is targeting the metro areas within close proximity of West Virginia. Eastern Panhandle interests relish the thought of a summer influx of travelers from the nation’s capital and the Baltimore area.

“A lot of times we are closer than they have realized and we have very much to offer,” Carver said.

For the same reason, the state has been projecting its good images to Canadians.

“With the dollar switch, we’re looking great on the international scale,” the director said.

“We have a staff person that works with the international market and the Canadians have started looking very closely at the state because we offer a great golf product.”

In tandem with those efforts, Carver’s agency is making sure West Virginians know about the offerings within their own boundaries. The agency defines a traveler as anyone who drives more than 50 miles.

Gov. Joe Manchin has joined the effort with a recent strong pitch for West Virginians to “look in your own backyard” when planning summer vacations.

“Literally, there is so much to do here, once you get out and explore,” Carver said.

“We hope that people take the opportunity to enjoy themselves but look closer to home.”

— E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com