MORGANTOWN — Fresh off a two-year, COVID-induced, government-sanctioned kneecapping, the tourism industry is roaring back to life in Monongalia County.
Critical to that resurgence, Visit Mountaineer Country CVB Executive Director Susan Riddle explained, is the Monongalia County Tourism Advancement Fund — a county-funded grant process launched last summer to attract events to the area and kick-start the county’s post-lockdown economy.
So far, the commission has provided two, $150,000 allocations to the grant program.
According to information provided by Riddle, it has helped fund 25 events through $284,841 in grant awards. Based on data and CVB estimates, those events have/will bring in nearly 103,000 visitors, fill more than 11,800 hotel rooms and generate $1.3 million for the local economy.
It’s actually been so successful, she said, that it’s creating a whole new area of concern.
“The result of the tourism advancement fund is we are kind of the hub in many regards. Our events calendar before was a warehouse for all kinds of events,” Riddle said, explaining the calendar now mostly focuses on larger gatherings. “Our calendar is so busy. We know where we’re going to have major traffic problems because of road access. We also know where we’re going to have safety problems.”
Take April 23, for example.
At Mylan Park alone there will be the annual All American Grand Bash, a major track event and baseball and swimming competitions. That’s also the same day as WVU’s Gold-Blue Game, the Mon County Classic baseball showcase at the Monongalia County Ballpark, and the start of High Point Raceway’s season up the road in Mt. Morris, Pa.
And those are just the large events. Taken together, you have a recipe for a traffic nightmare, particularly in and around I-79’s Exit 155.
Riddle said the CVB and representatives from various events are meeting with MECCA 911 and law enforcement in an attempt to head off these issues as much as possible.
“This is just the first. If you look at our calendar, almost every weekend it is jacked up with events, just one layered on top of another. So this is going to be an ongoing thing, and we can’t have people, whether it be facilities or event coordinators going, ‘Not my problem,’ because then we all have a problem,” Riddle said. “We get one chance to make a good a impression on people.”
In other commission news, the Morgantown-Monongalia County League of Women Voters will hold a virtual forum for county commission candidates March 31.
The forum will also feature conservation district supervisor candidates, with the commission hopefuls to follow at about 7:45 p.m.
The forum will be livestreamed to Facebook and YouTube. A schedule of upcoming candidate forums is available on the group’s Facebook page.
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