Gap Analysis-Blue Ridge Heritage, Inc-News Release
April 24, 2008
Blue Ridge Heritage, Inc, the legally functioning arm of the Rocky Knob Advisory Group, has contracted with a team of tourism professionals from Virginia Tech and Clemson Universities to assess and define the traveling public’s interest in a mountain he
BRIDGE HERITAGE, INC. [ROCKY KNOB]
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Blue Ridge Heritage, Inc, the legally functioning arm of the Rocky Knob Advisory Group, has contracted with a team of tourism professionals from Virginia Tech and Clemson Universities to assess and define the traveling public’s interest in a mountain heritage-based destination and education center. This study is a major step forward in helping Blue Ridge Heritage choose a viable and sustainable project from among the early concepts identified by the Rocky Knob Advisory Committee.
In addition, the results of the study will be a major economic development asset for Floyd and Patrick Counties. The data from the study can be used by economic development professionals to attract private developers of tourist-related businesses to the area. These businesses may include hotels, restaurants, and other visitor support services.
The study professionals’ immediate task is to interview community planning, business, and tourism leaders in both counties. These interviews will create a detailed inventory of existing tourism amenities. Over the next 6 to 12 months, surveys of actual and potential visitors will identify unmet tourist needs. Collected data will be made available to Floyd and Patrick County tourism businesses and planners. This up-to-date data will be important information for use in their future efforts.
Rick Boucher, Virginia’s 9th District US Congressman, called together the Rocky Knob Advisory Committee in 2004 and made federal funds available to finance the planning and early development of a tourist destination center in the vicinity of Rocky Knob on the Blue Ridge Parkway to aid economic development in both Floyd and Patrick Counties. Blue Ridge Parkway representatives have been involved in the planning process from the outset, and will manage the Tech/Clemson study. The study will take about 18 months to complete and will involve extensive discussions with the traveling public and with local citizens. It will be paid for using these federal funds in combination with state matching funds.
A goal of the selected project is to enhance the economic benefit of tourism to both Floyd and Patrick Counties, since both are contiguous to the Rocky Knob area. Blue Ridge Parkway officials report that over 20 million tourists visit the Blue Ridge Parkway every year. Blue Ridge Heritage, Inc. expects this study to provide strategies designed to attract greater numbers of visitors to the Parkway and off-Parkway regions of Patrick and Floyd Counties and to keep them in the area for longer periLUE ods of time.