
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, September 26, 1993                   TAG: 9309240062
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-4   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: ABINGDON                                LENGTH: Short

TOURISM PROMOTERS NAME AWARD WINNERS

A regional tourism promotion organization has named representatives of New River Valley HOSTS for Tourism Achievement Awards.

Virginia's Southwest Blue Ridge Highlands Inc. cited the work of HOSTS members Bob Thomas, Peter Huber and John Sankey for their work in building up tourism potential in the region.

Other awards went to the Town of Blacksburg, the New River Arts Council and Wytheville-Wythe-Bland Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jennifer Jones.

VSBRH announced the awards at its 1993 tourism conference in Abingdon recently. Its next quarterly meeting will be at 10 a.m. Jan. 11 at the Norwood Room in downtown Radford and will include a familiarization tour of local attractions.

"The potential for economic development in Southwest Virginia is tremendous," said Kitty Grady, VSBRH president and Wytheville's public information director.

"According to the Virginia Division of Tourism, 1990 estimates of travel expenditures in Southwest Virginia alone totaled $328 million," she said.

"The activities of the VSBRH promote tourism growth in our region and will increase travel expenditures in Virginia's Southwest."

by CNB