June 5, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Caryn Gresham
304-558-2288, ext. 347
cgresham@wvtourism.com

Gov. Manchin tours West Virginia vacation destinations for TV news features

Where in West Virginia is Gov. Manchin Web site

Photos of Gov. Manchin on location

West Virginians who tune in to their local TV newscasts next week can discover a handful of the state’s summer travel destinations through expert advice from the state’s top executive and biggest tourism advocate, Gov. Joe Manchin.

“Where in West Virginia is Gov. Manchin” is a five-part series showcasing places to visit and stay within West Virginia this summer. The series begins June 5 and, as a public service, will be aired on television newscasts by West Virginia stations, as well as stations in Hagerstown, Md., and Steubenville, Ohio, for five consecutive days.

Gov. Manchin is the host of each 90-second segment that features tourism attractions from across the state. Manchin recalls his own childhood vacation experiences at some of the locations, while he also discovered new ones during his tour.

“West Virginians need to experience the truly special places that are right here in their backyard,” Manchin said. “In the places I visited for the features, I discovered new gems and rekindled fond memories of special places where my family vacationed when I was a child.

“With gas prices as high as they are, there’s no better time for residents to make West Virginia their vacation destination this summer. West Virginians can travel anywhere in the state on one tank of gas. That alone is an incentive to travel in state this summer.”

Viewers can visit the West Virginia Division of Tourism Web site, www.callwva.com, and click on the “Where in West Virginia is Gov. Manchin” logo for photos, information and links about the places Gov. Manchin visited.

Tourism Commissioner Betty Carver said there is no better advocate for West Virginia tourism than the governor, who personally experienced every attraction he visited for the features.

“Our tourism industry partners are thrilled to have Gov. Manchin visit them and share his stories of vacationing in state with his family,” Carver said. “The governor wanted to encourage West Virginians to look closer for a vacation this summer and the project grew from that. Gov. Manchin knows that travelers to West Virginia spend more than $34 billion a year and generate $536 million in tax revenue. He’s a great advocate for the approximate 41,000 residents employed in tourism.

“This project has been a lot of fun for everyone involved and we think viewers will really enjoy learning where his next stop takes him.”

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Note: Each of the features’ complete location information will be disclosed the day each episode airs at www.callwva.com. Photos of Gov. Manchin on location during his travels can be found at www.callwvanews.com under News Releases.

Travelers to the Mountain State spend more than $3.4 billion a year, or $9.3 million per day, generating $536 million in tax revenue each year and supporting 41,000 jobs. Without those travel generated tax revenues, each household in West Virginia would have to pay an additional $730 in state and local taxes to maintain current service levels, according to a 2005 Dean Runyan Associates study.