West Virginia’s Department of Tourism is planning to expand the state’s tourism industry and create jobs, thanks to a $5 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Here’s what they’re doing:
– Implementing K-12 tourism and hospitality curriculum in schools across all 55 counties
– Expanding the high school tourism program to include 20 new courses statewide
– 9,000 students enrolled in courses with tourism curriculum
The department also launched Tourism Works, a workforce development initiative to prepare for more than 21,000 annual job openings in the state’s tourism industry through 2025. This initiative includes:
– A Tourism Works Certification Program for online training focused on hospitality and customer service skills
– The “Train Your Team” program, offering free and low-cost training opportunities with a tuition and training cost allowance of up to $2,000 per year
Tourism Secretary Chelsea Ruby emphasized the importance of preparing West Virginia’s workforce for new jobs.
The team at Destination Development has made progress with the Tourism Development Act Tax Credit, which offers incentives to attract more tourism investments. Several applications for this tax credit have been approved, bringing in a total of $18.7 million in investment from various tourism businesses. Two additional tourism tax credit applications are currently under review, with the potential to bring another $23.4 million in investment into the state’s tourism economy.
Looking ahead, the Department of Tourism has over $60 million in potential tourism investments in the pipeline, indicating a promising future for West Virginia’s tourism industry. With a focus on workforce development and incentives for tourism businesses, the state is positioning itself for sustained growth and success in the tourism sector.
