Tourism

The mix of natural beauty, national forest and state parks, private enterprise, a range of outdoor sports, and historical resources all make for a sizable (and growing) tourism industry in West Virginia. The location of the state within a day’s drive of over a quarter of the nation’s population helps make this possible.

Communities themselves can look into possible ways to improve local tourism. WVU Extension Service’s Community, Economic, and Workforce Development (CEWD) personnel conduct research and provide educational assistance to local communities throughout the state. These activities are in the areas of business retention and expansion, entrepreneurship development, economic development networks, strategic planning, local government finance and special studies of socio-economic trends.

A unit of CEWD, is Community Resource & Economic Development. (or CRED). CRED is dedicated to providing educational programs and technical assistance to strengthen the capacity of citizens and organizations throughout the state of West Virginia. By utilizing the latest research-based knowledge, strategies, and technology, CRED is capable of helping people understand community change and identify opportunities to improve their social and economic well-being. Our efforts of finding practical and timely solutions are enhanced by working closely with local communities, organizations, and partnering agencies.

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Community Design Team
Helping people make the most of their community is the goal of the Community Design Team. This program brings volunteer professionals from a variety of disciplines to your locale to assist community members in beginning a process of laying a course for the future. Teams might include landscape architects, planners, geographers, architects, engineers, historians, and economic development experts. The mix will depend upon the needs of the locality and other factors.

Here is an example of a design team report , this one on Mt. Hope, WV.