osbornk
Old man in the mountains
I agree totally on the great riding available in West Virginia......................it's our favorite destination by far!
I started this tread because I see a diminishing tourist industry, not a lack of great roads, wonderful people or beautiful scenery.
jason
The mountain counties near me in VA, NC, WV, TN and KY have been hit hard by more than the decline in coal. The area has also suffered from the textile and furniture manufacturing that has moved to foreign countries. With the good riding roads, beautiful mountains and friendly people, we have to evolve and promote the area's advantages with tourism. We have been promoting the Back of the Dragon to draw more people to the area so we can get more restaurants, motels and other attractions. However, the problem is a chicken and egg problem. Tourists don't come because there are few places to eat and sleep. We can't get motels and restaurants to locate here because we can't show enough people to make it profitable for them.
I'm not sure the closing and deteriorating motels and restaurants is as much a matter of a diminishing tourist industry as much as a declining of other industry. The motels and restaurants were build to service mining and manufacturing industries and the tourist business was a bonus. When mining and manufacturing fell, the tourism part of their business was not enough to sustain them.