The group toured Logan County on August 22 and got a taste of what is bringing tourism to the mountains of southern West Virginia in droves when they visited the Bearwallow Trailhead of the Hatfield-McCoy Trails for a special ride.
Hatfield-McCoy Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Debrina Williams and Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Authority Executive Director Jeff Lusk were the hosts of the event, which saw more than a dozen participants take a ride through the wildwoods on ATVs and UTVs provided by an area outfitter and the sponsors of the event.
The trails have turned Logan County into a tourism destination, Lusk said. Recent studies have showed that tourism brought nearly $8 million dollars into Logan County last year.
Lusk said that while the nation’s economy has seen a downturn, the Hatfield-McCoy trails have continued to grow in terms of riders, permits sold and hotel and motel lodging. For the past two years, Lusk has emphasized the dire need for more lodging.
CVBs are non-profit organizations that receive funding from hotel and motel occupancy taxes. The goal of CVBs are to boost tourism by advertising and promoting an area for visitors. CVBs offer free information to travelers and assistance for group tours and conferences as well as operating visitor's centers. In Logan County the Hatfield-McCoy CVB is located on Stratton Street near Yesterday's Diner.
Williams said the purpose of the event was to show the CVB folks what Logan's tourism base was like and to give them some first hand experience in it, so they could learn from it as well as have a base of information when asked about riding the trails in our region.
Not everyone on the event was from out of the area. Ronnie and Diana Barnett were also participants.
"I already have my own permit," she noted. "It's always fun to ride the Hatfield-McCoy Trails."
Among those who made the ride were: Beverly Wellman of the W.Va. CVB; Sharon Cruikshank, New River Gorge CVB; Tyson Compton, Huntington CVB; Debrina Williams, Hatfield-McCoy CVB; Craig Warner, Huntington CVB; Elizabeth Warner, Pendleton County CVB; Frank O’Brien, Wheeling CVB; Jeff Lusk, Hatfield-McCoy Trails; Johnny Fekete, Hatfield-McCoy Trails; Michael Williamson; Lisa Dooley, WV Municipal League Executive Director; Tommy Dooley; Steve Anderson; Diana Barnette, Hatfield-McCoy CVB; Ronnie Barnette Steve Anderson.
When the event ended, the CVB folks visited the trailhead and picked up some merchandise.
Many were surprised at the variety — hats and shirts with different logos and colors, key chains, glasses, statues, books and more. Several of the visitors commented on the guest book where visitors to the area often sign in and leave comments about their visit.
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