Two projects within West Virginia University’s Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences will co-sponsor workshops next month for businesses hoping to benefit from heritage tourism.
Destination Businesses: A Branded Marketing Approach for Cultural Heritage Tourism Businesseswill be presented Tuesday, April 13, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. in the Faulconer Room of Pipestem State Park; Wednesday, April 14, from 2-5 p.m. at the Fairmont Holiday Inn; and Thursday, April 15, from 9 a.m.-noon in the John Brown Museum at Harpers Ferry National Park.
WVU ’s Community Design Team and Appalachian Forest Heritage Area projects are co-sponsoring the workshops as part of the West Virginia Cultural Heritage Tourism Program. Other sponsors include the West Virginia Development Office, Preservation Alliance West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Tourism, West Virginia Department of Agriculture, West Virginia Small Business Development Center, Small Business Work Force, West Virginia Trails Coalition, Main Street West Virginia, West Virginia Department of Natural Resources and Potomac Heritage Partnership.
The fastest-growing segment within the tourism industry is the cultural heritage tourist,said Scott Gerloff, chief executive officer of the Potomac Heritage Partnership, a non-profit organization specializing in heritage tourism.These tourists spend more money, come back more often and are willing to pay more for extraordinary experiences. West Virginia is perfectly situated to take advantage of this opportunity.
As an expert on heritage tourism, Gerloff will provide information on how businesses can connect directly with these tourists.
The primary presenter is nationally recognized marketing consultant Jon Schallert. A destination retail expert, Schallert instructs thousands annually on destination business strategies. His session will teach businesses to focus on creating an effective brand, capable of drawing tourists from hundreds of miles away, and share cost-effective and high-impact marketing and promotional strategies.
The workshops are made possible by grants from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and the Small Business Work Force, which underwrites training for small businesses. Registration fee is $65 per person. Additional people from the same business or organization pay only $45.
The West Virginia Cultural Heritage Tourism Program’s mission is to use the state’s historic, cultural and natural resources to establish sustainable heritage tourism programs for the purposes of stimulating economic opportunities and preserving and conserving these resources. The West Virginia Development Office and the Preservation Alliance are the lead organizations in the program with a 27-person steering committee providing guidance.
For more information or to register, contact Carrie Williams at 1-800-982-3386 ext. 711 or cwilliams@wvdo.org . Checks should be made out to Preservation Alliance West Virginia and sent to Carrie Williams, Main Street West Virginia, West Virginia Development Office, Capitol Complex, Building 6/553, Charleston, WV 25305 . Please indicate which workshop you will be attending.