|
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
Office of the
Governor
Timothy M. Kaine
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Governor
March
21, 2008
Contact:
Gordon Hickey Tamra
Talmadge-Anderson/VTC
Phone: (804) 225-4260
(804)
545-5573
Cell Phone: (804) 291-8977
Internet: www.governor.virginia.gov www.Virginia.org
GOVERNOR KAINE ANNOUNCES
VIRGINIA’S
CROOKED ROAD AND WILDERNESS
ROAD FEATURED IN NEW NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
MAP
~ Appalachian Driving Tours Map showcases cultural and heritage
tourism sites ~
RICHMOND – Governor Timothy
M. Kaine today celebrated Virginia’s role in the new Appalachian Driving
Tours Map, a partnership of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and
National Geographic Society. The map insert will be in the April issue of
National Geographic Traveler and features 28 driving trails in the nation’s
Appalachian Region. Nearly 20 sites
along Virginia’s Crooked Road and
Wilderness Road, from bluegrass venues to state parks, are highlighted as part
of an effort to increase tourism in Appalachia.
“Tourism is
one of Virginia’s most powerful industries and key to
the economic development of our smaller communities,” Governor Kaine said. “Tourism provides quality jobs that cannot be
outsourced and helps preserve Virginia’s unique heritage and culture.”
Tourism is a
$17.7 billion industry for Virginia, providing more than 208,000 jobs and
$1.2 billion in state and local taxes. According to the Travel Industry
Association of America (TIA), tourism is a $740 billion industry, employing
nearly 7.5 million people in the United States in 2006.
The cultural
heritage tourism sector has been growing twice as fast as the overall travel
market, according to TIA, with the Appalachian region boasting six of the top 10
states most visited by travelers from this sector.
“National
Geographic’s recognition of the rich culture and heritage of Virginia’s Appalachian
region is a feather in the cap of our tourism industry,” said Alisa Bailey,
president & CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation. “This new map highlights our ongoing
marketing efforts to increase visitation and traveler spending in Virginia by capitalizing
upon travelers’ ever-growing interest in our heritage.”
The
Virginia section of the Appalachia driving
trails map highlights two heritage-themed trails; the Wilderness Road and the Crooked Road.
The
Wilderness Road: Virginia’s Heritage Migration
Route, traverses the general route of
America’s westward expansion,
down the Shenandoah Valley through Southwest Virginia and on to the Cumberland Gap.
Known by a variety of names, the route features museum and sites in
historic communities such as Winchester,
Staunton, Roanoke, Wytheville, Abingdon, Duffield and
Jonesville.
The
Crooked
Road: Virginia Heritage Music Trail, focuses on the
rich musical heritage of Southwest
Virginia. The music tells of
the traditions of the region and includes some of the most hallowed sites in
musical history such as the Birthplace of Country Music in Bristol, and the Carter
Fold in Hiltons. Music is available all
along the 253-mile route at such venues as the Floyd Country Store in Floyd, the
Rex Theatre in Galax, and the Country Cabin in
Norton.
Supplemented
with colorful photos, descriptive text, and detailed travel information, the map
will be distributed to subscribers and on newsstands in the April 2008 issue of
National Geographic Traveler magazine.
The map’s
online component at www.visitappalachia.com features interactive driving tours,
a downloadable PDF of the map, Google map features to help travelers plan their
next driving vacation to Appalachia, and links
to the 13 Appalachian State Tourism offices for additional information.
For more
information about travel in Virginia go to www.Virginia.org or call
1-800-VISITVA.
|
