Appalachian Trail Bring Revenue to Southwest Virginia

Virginia contains more mileage of the Appalachian Trail than any other state. Running through various rural, Appalachian communities in Virginia, tourism created by the trail brings revenue to the state. Expanding through much of western Virginia, most towns found on the AT are generally less prosperous than urban Virginia. Communities along the trail manage to increase benefits by creating attractions and benefits for hikers. Inflow of tourists brought to the region builds opportunity for jobs and increased income for businesses.

Jobs created by the trail are largely seasonal, meaning off seasons (like fall-spring) tend to be less profitable for AT communities. However, the region still benefits greatly: statistics presented by Opportunity SWVA represent a 29% increase in people employed in tourism and recreation since 2004 (Stump 5). Whereas such areas traditionally thrive in agriculture and mining, jobs in recreation are now being produced at an exceedingly faster rate. Former director of SWVA Cultural Heritage Foundation noted that a decline in jobs in agriculture and mining led to Southwest Virginia marketing recreational opportunities in the region, noting they were “assets residents had taken advantage of for decades,” (Smith 1). The region, already seeing a decline in available jobs, decided to utilize the chance for growth through tourism by advertising scenes from everyday life. In 2017, the US Department of Interior recorded nearly 16,000 jobs in recreation in the state of Virginia, largely due to the AT (DOI 1).

As far as tourist dollars being brought into the region, the Appalachian Trail is primarily to thank in western Virginia towns. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is currently investigating how AT communities can further involvement in outdoor recreation economy, which accounted for “2% ($373.7 billion) of the entire 2016 US Gross Domestic Product,” (Browett 2). There are more factors that play into economic prosperity from the AT, however. With thousands of through and section hikers per year, communities along the trail are popular stops for equipment and food. Damascus, a small town in Washington County, VA, benefits so greatly from tourists dollars that they strive to keep the nickname “the friendliest town on the trail,” (Stump 4). The town is successful in maintaining a good reputation to hikers. In fact, the community of Damascus’s proximity to the Appalachian Trail led to 8 of 19 businesses directly stating that it was a leading motivator in opening a business in Damascus (Cox, et al. 19). Increased income and job opportunities become a cycle as tourists continue to bring revenue into communities along the trail. Tourists coming off the trail into AT communities spend money, which creates an opportunity for new businesses, which creates an opportunity for new jobs.

While other Appalachian states have been taking advantage of their role in outdoor recreation economy for decades, this is still a fairly recent practice in Virginia. There’s a lot of available tourism along the AT in Virginia, but it should still be considered how businesses can move into the industry to profit from tourists. Furthermore, there seems to be a lot of opportunity for the region to hosts events for hikers and tourists that would attract even more revenue. Currently we see ample growth in jobs and recreational contribution to GDP, but with attractions such as festivals and live music, Virginia could catalyze its economic growth and bring more tourists dollars into the region.

Works Cited

• Browett, Alyson. “AT Communities: Gateways to Economic Stewardship and Success.” Appalachian Trail Conservancy. appalachiantrail.org/home/community/blog/ATFootpath/2018/08/03/a.t.-communities-gateways-to-economic-and-stewardship-success. Accessed 4 Dec. 2018.
• Cox, Stephen et al. Building Connectivity Through Recreation Trails. Economic Development Studio at Virginia Tech, pp 19. www.visitdamascus.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Final-Report_Impact-of-Trails_Fall2011Studio_VT.pdf. Accessed 4 Dec. 2018.
• “FY 2017 Economic Contributions.” US Department of Interior. doi.sciencebase.gov/doidv/doi-state.html?state=Virginia.
• Smith, Wally. “Natural Assets: How the Outdoor Economy is Transforming Appalachia.” Blue Ridge Outdoors. www.blueridgeoutdoors.com/go-outside/natural-assets/. Accessed 4 Dec. 2018.
• Stump, Jacob. “In Southwest VA, Trails Connect Region to Economic Growth.” The Daily Yonder. www.dailyyonder.com/in-southwest-va-trails-connect-region-to-economic-growth/2018/06/27/26281/. Accessed 4 Dec. 2018.
• Stump, Jacob. “If We Build It: The Tourism Economy in S.W. Virginia.” 100 Days in Appalachia. www.100daysinappalachia.com/2018/07/07/if-we-build-it-the-tourism-economy-in-s-w-virginia/. Accessed 4 Dec. 2018.