Tourism spending increased in Mercer County for 2023

MERCER COUNTY W.Va. (WVVA) - Tourists spent more than $186 million in Mercer County last year. That’s the word from the executive director the county’s convention and visitor’s bureau. That number shows growth because it’s up from $130 million in 2022. Jamie Null says that spending goes hand in hand with a rise in hotel bookings in the county.

“Our occupancy in our hotels increased this year over last year. We’re sitting at 63.5% occupancy in Mercer County and that’s up from 61.1%,” said Null.

Null says she’s attributing the increase to more exposure on social media. More than $500K was spent for marketing destinations in the county, which is a $170K plus jump from 2022.

“The more that we can put out there the more people we’re going to bring in. We increased the level of awareness for Mercer County and for West Virginia. Some of our iconic scenic locations, they’ve not changed. What’s changed is our ability to market those and put those out there so people can see it and come visit,” said Null.

Null estimates that more than 10,000 rooms were booked along the ATV trails in Mercer County. The owner of an ATV business in Rock says he’s seen steady growth in business over the nearly seven years he’s been in business. He says the Hatfield and McCoy Trails offer something that not many places in the country have which is an abundance of space.

“The opportunity for ATV riding is generally limited to an ATV park where it’s a set amount of acreage and trails. You’re in a contained area. Where as here you can branch out and almost have a free roaming experience which is pretty nice,” said owner of Eagle ATV Rental, Bill Regas.

Tourism leaders say they anticipate spending, bookings and advertising will all post even more gains in this new year. Time will tell if the growth in tourism continues.

Null says CVB social media exposure was aided by partnership with a group known as Pineapple Public Relations that helped the CVB gain exposure in national publications like Southern Living and USA Today.