CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Wednesday was Tourism Day at the West Virginia State Capitol, and for Tourism Commissioner Chelsea Ruby, it was an opportunity to talk about growth in the industry.
“We had every single county but one saw an increase (in tourism),” she said on MetroNews “Talkline.”
“It’s happening for a lot of different reasons, but the main one I because we’re investing. We’re investing in ourselves, we’re getting out there and we’re telling West Virginia’s story.”
Ruby, who joined when Gov. Jim Justice took office in 2017, said the office is focusing on investing in advertising in six to eight markets including new opportunities in Chicago and Philadelphia.
“Last year, our growth outpaced the national average by 58%,” she said. “We’re one of the fastest-growing tourism economies in the nation.”
Ruby also pointed to a growth in finances thanks to the governor and Legislature as tools helping growth.