Last year we received a major grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation to expand regional activities promoting the creative economy in the Appalachian Forest region. Working in partnership with Eastern WV Community and Technical College, this 2-year project expanded work of the Potomac Highlands Creative Economy group to include all 18 counties within the National Heritage Area to expand partnerships and grow networking opportunities for all communities. This initiative has sponsored our monthly online meetings, dozens of free workshops and training, a pilot grant program, and the return of our annual Tourism Summit.
The Highlands Creative Economy Council meets virtually once a month to network about tourism development. This open forum gives county tourism leaders and local businesses a chance to discuss successes, issues, and solutions, and to engage with guest speakers. For more information and to join the peer group see https://www.appalachianforestnha.org/creative-economy
LaVale Toll Gate House will open for visitors with the help of a Tourism Development Grant awarded by AFNHA (Photo: mdmountainside.com)
This year we awarded $60,000 to support tourism industry partners in region through our Tourism Development grant. These grants supported tourism development projects such as new interpretive signs and web content, renovated historic buildings, heritage events, and more. We are eager to expand our grant program in the future.
The Tourism Summit was held on August 24th at Canaan Valley Resort State Park. The Summit brought together a diverse group of participants from across the region representing many tourism and business development organizations. The Summit offered a variety of topical discussions including Tourism Marketing, Creating Marketable Trails, Hospitality, and Lodging, Connecting with Heritage Trails, State Resources, and Tourism Business Development. Keynote speaker, Dr. Dee Singh-Knights offered insights about Growing Sustainable Tourism in a Post-Pandemic Economy. This was the first in-person Tourism Summit since 2019 and provided the opportunity to network with like-minded professionals sharing ideas and solutions to some of the tourism and business challenges our region is working to overcome.
Our Benedum grant will end next year, but the Highlands Creative Economy program will continue to bring stakeholders together and we will need your help to keep these gatherings and trainings free to participants.
CLICK HERE to donate now to support this program.
Dr. “Dee” Singh-Knights
