WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS (WVVA) - As Greenbrier County prepares once more for the tens-of-thousands of tourists that will pour in for the Greenbrier Classic, they now find they will be preparing for even more than once expected.
Jim Justice, owner of the Greenbrier Resort announced on Tuesday that after the announcement of Tiger Woods entering the Greenbrier Classic, tickets sales went through the roof.
"There is no doubt about it, this is the biggest PR event for the state of West Virginia," Justice gushed as he explained his excitement.
Justice says that ticket sales may be cut off by the end of June due to the high demand. While this is great news for the Greenbrier, Justice says he hopes it's even better news for the local economy.
"I want the money multiplier effect. I want to see local hotels and gas stations benefit from this," Justice said.
The local economy is already feeling the effect. Hotels in Greenbrier County are already booked for the week of the Greenbrier Classic.
Kara Dense, the Executive Director of the Greenbrier Valley Visitors and Convention Bureau says that while some local businesses are already reaping the benefits, the real impact the PGA tour brings is the exposure of the county.
According to Dense, the world-wide exposure of the area will encourage people to visit Greenbrier County, directly benefiting local shops.
"This tour exposes the Greenbrier Valley to more and more people, and our hope is that those people will come back and visit us again," Dense said.
While hotels and restaurants may gain an immediate profit, shops throughout the county haven't reported the same increase in sales.
Mike Reed is the owner of the Fountain Springs Shoppe in White Sulphur Springs. They sell handcrafted artisan items from the two-Virginia's
"We haven't seen the same business. People who go to the classic usually stay there all day and leave tired. They don't want to walk all over town to go shopping," Mike Reed said.
Reed says while the tour has brought in more foot traffic, he hopes to continue to see a rise this summer, and that the extra crowd will bring in more buyers.
"We remain hopeful."
