6:00: Morning News

New report shows 7 to 1 return on tourism marketing dollars

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Every dollar spent on marketing West Virginia’s tourism industry earns a $7 return according to new research information released to state lawmakers Monday at the state capitol.

State Tourism Commissioner Amy Shuler Goodwin gave members of the economic development interim committee the highlights of a research report her office received Friday. Goodwin ordered the research after taking the tourism job this past summer. She said such a study hadn’t been done in 11 years.

Goodwin and whitewater rafting industry expert Dave Arnold urged lawmakers to make more money available for tourism marketing. It’s an area that’s seen fewer funds in recent years. Arnold said the numbers speak for themselves.

“To see us not recognize a 7 to 1 return on investment—even it was a 1.5 to 1 return on investment I would certainly give it some consideration,” Arnold said.

The state Tourism Commission passed a resolution last week calling on the legislature to double the state liquor tax and funnel the revenue to tourism. The commission said it could generate an additional $8 million to $10 million for tourism marketing. The state liquor tax is currently 11 percent.

The whitewater industry itself has fewer dollars for marketing. Arnold said there were 225,000 users in 2000 but that will slip to below 100,000 this year.

“I could you a million reasons,” Arnold told lawmakers. “But I can tell you this–the number one reason is marketing. We were marketing with revenue from 225,000 people. Today we market with revenue from 100,000 people. It’s a huge difference.”

Goodwin said the new research also showed West Virginia residents are the biggest users in the West Virginia tourism industry and that’s been done without a lot of marketing money.

“We do not spend or have not spent from tourism dollars any money in the state. Does that make sense? No,” Goodwin said. “Does that mean that we should spend most of our advertising dollars in West Virginia? No. We just have to be smarter about the spend and when.”

Goodwin said the new research also showed West Virginia is a four-seasons tourism state. She said her office would be further reviewing the information in the weeks to come.





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