WEST VIRGINIA – According to Visit Southern West Virginia, America’s newest national park saw record breaking tourism numbers in 2024.
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve welcomed 1,811,937 visitors last year, seeing a 6.31% increase from 2023. This outpaced the overall surge in National Park Site visitation, which was 2%.
Southern West Virginia as a whole is also seeing a rise in tourism, which also means more money being spent in our region. In 2023 $1.2 billion was spent across the mountain state’s nine southern counties. Those nine counties are Fayette, Greenbrier, McDowell, Mercer, Monroe, Nicholas, Raleigh, Summers, and Wyoming
“The draw of outdoor recreation sites, such as the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, continues to be a strong foundation for Southern West Virginia’s tourism industry and economy,” said Lisa Strader, Executive Director for Visit Southern West Virginian. “With the park designation, we have seen visitors from further away, staying longer and spending more throughout our region.”
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