We want people to stay longer and try different things. We're banking on the idea that a lot of people would see coming to West Virginia and having a series of outdoor adventures as a good alternative to lying on the beach for five days. Proctor said whitewater rafting is drawing an older crowd than it drew 15 to 20 years ago. Not so long ago, it was 27 or 28. They're a little more interested in creature comforts than they were when we first started out.
Expectations are up as far as food and lodging are concerned.
As the coal industry pulls out of the coalfields where deep mining has traditionally taken place, abandoned railroad tracks could lead the way to another surge in tourism growth, Proctor predicted. It's the kind of riding most Americans prefer - fairly easy trails with no more than a 3 percent grade. It's a good alternative to nonstop video games and living in the urban sprawl. We're an island of green surrounded by population centers. We're easily reached by a good interstate highway system.