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Come on in, see more of Bath, Highland
Tourism trail plan holds potential for local economy
BY JAMES JACENICH • STAFF WRITER
 | | The Alleghany Highlands Region Tourism Trail encompasses Highland, Bath, Alleghany and Craig Counties. (Map courtesy the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission) |
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MONTEREY - "Wayne Strickland, executive director, Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission, at the invitation of the Highland County Economic Development Authority, described the benefits of a regional tourism trail for the Highlands similar to the Crooked Road Heritage Music Trail in southern Virginia at the Highland County Economic Development Authority meeting Oct. 9.
The EDA held the meeting in the main auditorium at The Highland Center. Eleven people attended in addition to the EDA members, including Highland supervisors Robin Sullenberger and Jerry Rexrode and supervisor candidate Randy Richardson.
"The whole idea behind the tourism trail (concept) was to take dying communities and highlight those things that were important to those communities," said Strickland. "For artisans and agriculture, it has been very successful. The Crooked Trail brings in tens of thousands of visitors a year who spend money in the community."
Tourism trails include a driving tour, several unifying themes, direct links to several main destinations, and a potential to market every asset within a region through a themed Web site and guidebook.
"We started looking at this," said Strickland. "The National Geographic highlighted arts and heritage areas in Appalachia (recently). They put together a great map. It stayed on their Web site for more than a year. It made us think there are a lot of things to do in the Allegheny Highlands.
"We began to talk to other counties. We began to look at opportunities to build a trail on some theme. We said we think, based on Appalachian Regional Commission asset-based programs, we could get some money for this."
Strickland said RVARC made an application and in September received $25,000 with a requirement to match the grant to develop the Highlands Trail concept.
"We haven't' decided on a theme," said Strickland. "But we are talking to stakeholders in the region, asking them, 'What's the theme?'" Strickland said possible themes include the Highlands Heritage Tour or Highlands Rail Heritage Road to highlight the importance of the railroad to the region. Another possibility is Mineral Springs of Virginia's Highlands. Outdoor recreation could be emphasized under the umbrella title of Virginia's Canoe and Fly Fish Country or Virginia's Outdoor Capital. Crafts could be emphasized if the trail took the theme of Virginia's Woodworking Trail or the Highlands Handmade Tour.
Whatever the choice, it is up to the people in the four counties and associated towns in the proposed region (Bath, Highland, Alleghany and Craig) to decide.
"These places (tourism trails) are off the road," said Strickland. "It doesn't have to be a huge facility or an arts and craft center. It can be individual homes if people want to participate. They can sell their arts and crafts there."
The trail project has six defined elements. First, the project performs an asset inventory and draws up a map of the region. An asset analysis and a marketing plan follow. The trail is primarily a marketing tool used by communities that join together in the common venture of attracting visitors. Branding and naming is next, which consists of further defining the tourist assets of a region so they can be marketed effectively. A contractor will design a Web site as one vehicle to reach possible tourists. Finally, a projected economic impact study will be performed to determine how much the region can expect to gain from the marketing effort associated with the trail.
"We hope to have an outline completed by next summer," said Strickland.
The proposed schedule for the project is to complete the asset identification and map in October or November and to quickly move through the other steps in the project with a Web site finished between April and June 2008.
Patti Reum of Bear Mountain Retreat asked, "What if the theme is railroads and Highland doesn't have any railroads?"
"What we envision is it will be a very broad theme," said Strickland. "People really are staying home. They will drive four or five hours to go on a minivacation. We want them to stay in the region three or four days. We want to give them a lot of stuff to do. If you don't, they just won't come back. There may be a theme that will give them lots to do."
EDA member Lloyd Bird asked, "What is the government's responsibility?"
"We asked each local government to put up $4,000- $5,000 a year for the project," said Strickland. "Most of the money has been EDA money, tobacco money, VDOT enhancement funds. The local governments are asked to participate and to contribute their share."
The town of Monterey and the Highland County Board of Supervisors declined to provide financial support for the project this year. The Highland Center stepped in and made a contribution to keep Highland County in the project.
"We committed $1,000 with a challenge to the community to come up with another $500," said center executive director Betty Mitchell. "The response to that challenge was $550 committed collectively by the Highland Inn, Pam Flynn of Stone Hearth, John and Char Sweet, Tom and Joan Atkeson, Nancy Witschey, Shamrock and Stephenson and Polly Newlon. Additionally, funds were pledged by Highlanders for Responsible Development ($1,000), the Highland Historical Society ($250), and the Highland Chamber of Commerce ($500)."
The total contributed from Highland County's private citizens, businesses and organizations was $3,150.
Strickland said local government participation was desirable, but not necessary. The project is a marketing tool for residents and businesses in the region to benefit from and does not have a direct bearing nor will it interfere with local government policies on land use or road development, he said. The trail does not require the approval of state legislators or local government officials.
"I hear concerns (from people) about bringing people here that aren't from here," said Strickland. "Our goal is to bring people here to highlight what we have. We're not asking them to move here; we are asking them to come and visit. It is something that can benefit us, keep businesses viable. Some people say if you have a highway you will benefit. I-64 goes right through Clifton Forge and Covington, but people don't stop. Small business drives this country. Visitors might get the idea to start a business in the region."
Rexrode said, "As a supervisor, we are concerned about if VDOT goes to do anything in these areas, it makes it more difficult to have a road project. What does VDOT have to do?"
"What VDOT does is they put up signs and announce, 'This is where Ralph Stanley was born' or something like that. What they don't want to do to the Crooked Road is to make a series of superhighways; otherwise you lose the Crooked Road. You lose that atmosphere you are trying to promote."
Strickland later said, "The chairman of the Crooked Road Tourism Trail … said that their trail had no impact on VDOT's decision to improve any roadway in the region covered by their trail, and furthermore, the trail had no impact on future plans for road improvements in the region."
"Does it take legislation to designate (a tourism trail)?" Rexrode asked.
"No, sir," responded Strickland. "This is you. You will be part of this. You will be designating this. If the state comes in, you can get more money, but you'll have strings attached. We would prefer to have this as a marketing tool instead of having the General Assembly telling us what we can or can't do."
"Are you interfacing with the Alleghany Craft Network?" asked artist Lisa Jacenich.
"Yes, we have talked to Stephen Clerico, or Michael of the ACN project. We thought it would be great to have an interface. We'll be looking for all kinds of sources of info."
The ACN project is a Web site due to be completed by next summer that will provide a listing of regional artisans.
Deborah Ellington, owner of Ginseng Mountain Store, said, "I- 81 used to be a great drive. It seems to me U.S. 220 could be a nice beautiful place to take a drive, to get off the main highway. I get a lot of business from people traveling from Pennsylvania just to avoid the trucks on I-81."
"I think once we get people down here they will see what we have," said Strickland. "What we hope is that people who read USA Today will see this (Crooked Road) is a great place to travel and continue along U.S. 220 all the way up to Highland County. There is an initiative for the wilderness trail; our argument is we should be able to tie into that. Long range, we are so close to Dulles airport, we could bring people from all over the world, put them on a bus and show them western Virginia. We need to get our share of the tourists."
EDA member Dave Smith said, "We have no state park in Highland County. There is not one park in Highland County. Other places have them. We have thousands of acres available."
"Douthat is the closest," said Strickland. "If this initiative gets going, it might get delegates and senators to think about it. But you have to have land and interest here to do it. All of the trails happened because people were enthusiastic about it. We should show off our heritage."
"Is there any benefit to forming a non-profit?" asked Jacenich.
"That has to be a part of it," said Strickland. "This has got to be turned over to someone. We (RVARC) are a planning district; it's not our job to run a tourist organization. We want it to be successful, but if we are doing it you have no ownership. If you don't own it, it won't happen."
Rexrode asked if it were possible to use Appalachian Regional Commission money through the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission.
"Districts can jointly apply," said Strickland. "I think it would be great if both our planning districts worked on it. At some point, someone mentioned expanding it, I don't know, there might be some areas in West Virginia. It would make sense to expand it, but those state lines are bigger than that (and hard to cross)."
"How do you define success?" Bird asked.
Strickland said, "The Crooked Road estimated they would have a 5 percent increase in visitors. I think they've already reached their goal of 5 percent. How do we measure success? Is it sales? Visitors? New jobs? I hope you will share that when we start the focus groups."
The public is invited to attend community meetings and focus groups. Highland's meeting is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14 at The Highland Center in Monterey. Bath has its meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20 in room 115 at the Bath County Courthouse in Warm Springs.
Strickland said communities need to decide what they want to keep away from tourists and what they would like to share.
John Hull, meeting leader for the trails project and regional economic resources planner at RVARC, later said, "I really, really need names and general locations of crafters, artisans, historic sites, outdoor amenities (trails, fishing areas, etc), local restaurants, local lodging. If people could think about this before (the input sessions) and come prepared to talk about specific sites and businesses that perhaps could be on a trail project of some sort, then it will be a much more productive meeting."
For more information about the project call or write John Hull, regional economic resources planner at RVARC at (540) 343-4417; P.O. Box 2569, Roanoke, Va. 24010; email jhull@rvarc.org or visit the commission's Web site at www.rvarc.org.
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