WVU awarded funding to lead development of Rural Tourism Institute

In August, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) announced $485,000 for a new project led by Doug Arbogast, Rural Tourism Development Extension Specialist at West Virginia University in collaboration with NC State Extension Tourism, the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, the Northeast and Southern Regional Rural Development Centers, prominent tourism industry consultants, and community partners across three Appalachian states. This grant will allow the project team to use the funds to plan the development of the Rural Tourism Institute which will be comprised of three components: the Rural Tourism Academy, which will develop the industry’s first Rural Tourism Executive Certification program; the Rural Tourism Lab, which will leverage academic faculty and students to fill critical data and intelligence gaps and provide planning and research support; and the Rural Tourism Peer Network, which will provide facilitated networking and information sharing among practitioners. During the 12-month planning grant, the team will work together to outline curriculum development for the certification training program and delineate research activities for the lab. Tourism authorities from at least two counties in each state will participate as active partners in training, research and networking. Funding was made via ARC’s Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE), which aims to drive large-scale, regional economic transformation through multi-state collaborative projects across Appalachia. Check out the project snaphot to learn more!