ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, April 17, 1997 TAG: 9704170036
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JEFF STURGEON THE ROANOKE TIMES
North Carolina reaps $5.60 for every $1 gained in Virginia from parkway tourism.
Vacationers traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina will drop an average of $50 on souvenirs per trip. Those on the parkway section in Virginia spend a more modest $15.
This is the type of news that is going to make this state's souvenir dealers cringe. But there's more: In buying food, parkway tourists spend $140 per trip in North Carolina vs. $87 in Virginia, and purchases for gas, lodging and film shake out the same way.
In fact, North Carolina reaps $5.60 in economic benefit for every $1 gained in Virginia from parkway tourism, according to a study released Wednesday by the Coalition for the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The study put the total impact in both states at $2.25 billion per year, up 30 percent from 10 years ago after accounting for inflation.
The coalition reacted by saying Virginia must make the parkway pay better. No proposals have been made, but better promotion by state and local organizations will be studied, according to Jim Olin of Roanoke, co-chairman of the organization and a former congressman.
"This provides a very good opportunity for Virginia to work on the subject," Olin said.
Gary Everhardt, superintendent of the parkway, which is a branch of the National Park Service, added, "There is an opportunity for Virginia to do something.''
North Carolina has some advantages over Virginia. Not only is its section of the parkway 16 percent longer - 252 miles vs. 217 - but more interstate highways lead to it and more people live within a few hours' drive, said Gene Brothers, an associate professor at North Carolina State University in Raleigh and a researcher for the study. Virginia Tech also worked on the project.
"They got mountains down there that are bigger and more rugged," Olin said. Others noted there simply is more to do along the parkway's North Carolina stretch.
In addition, a windstorm blew many of the leaves off Virginia trees during part of the study period last fall, so color buffs headed south.
The study, conducted September 1995 to August 1996, found:
The typical vehicle contained slightly more people in North Carolina, and the North Carolina visitors planned a trip lasting 2 2/3 days, compared with 2 1/3 days for visitors along the Virginia portion of the road.
The typical North Carolina party spends $499 seeing the parkway, or $147 per person per trip. Parkway travelers in Virginia spend an average of $264, or $90 per person per trip.
North Carolina visitors numbered 8.9 million. Virginia visitors numbered 5.3 million.
Visitors' impact was $1.91 billion in North Carolina and $337 million in Virginia.
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