National Heritage Area to Host Regional Tourism Conference Aug. 5

Romney, WVa. (WVDN) – Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area invites all tourism industry professionals to the annual Highlands Creative Economy Tourism Summit on Monday, August 5th at the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf & the Blind in Romney. This year’s event will emphasize the importance of addressing accessibility in the tourism and hospitality sectors.

The Tourism Summit will feature presentations from regional experts and offer the opportunity to learn about tools and resources for tourism organizations, and to network with peers in the industry. This event is free to attend and open to anyone interested in tourism in the region. Register or learn more at www.afnha.org/news-archives/2024-tourism-summit .

Sessions will cover Accessibility, Agritourism, Hospitality, Community Development, Heritage Tourism, and more. The keynote address will highlight Eric Thompson of Access on the Go, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting accessibility and adaptive recreation opportunities throughout the Appalachian region. Thompson will discuss the need for and benefits of tourism and hospitality businesses to serve travelers with disabilities, and share the resources and tools organizations can use to make their communities more accessible.

Highlands Creative Economy (HCE) is a partnership between Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area and Eastern WV Community & Technical College. The HCE program hosts a monthly networking meeting for tourism-related organizations, training events, workshops, and the annual Tourism Summit. Meetings are held on the 4th Thursday of every month at 10:00 am on Zoom. HCE is supported in part by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and the National Park Service. Learn more at www.afnha.org/creative-economy .

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