Description

As Virginia waltzes through another General Assembly
session and the Federal Reserve continues to raise interest
rates at a moderate pace, public and private entities across
the Commonwealth seek to find regional platforms fostering
local community development. Studies suggest smart regional
strategies for rural areas take advantage of urban sprawl by focusing on quality of
life amenities and rural tourism.
This quarter’s feature article is about how Southwest Virginians are luring tourists
with an ear for music and a heart for heritage. Just like the marketing campaign
for the Civil War trails that paralleled the “Gods and Generals” film campaign that
showcased Virginia as a pivotal state in that war, Southwest Virginia’s “Crooked
Road” marketing strategy is positioning the region to entertain the thirsty heritage
tourist, the weekend musician, and the keenly savvy knowledge-tourist that goes to
the source.
Economic development formulas that have a regional fiber linking to quality of life
and fundamental traditions, spur all sorts of activities on the community level. These
activities can sometimes be precarious if localities have to bear the full burden of
supporting the marketing campaign and other costs—some studies indicate that
tourism creates pressure on taxes and infrastructure and the localities suffer. In
addition, tourism jobs are often low skilled and low paying.
However, the ‘top-down’ approach of the “Crooked Road” increases its probability
of success. In this case, support from local, state, and national entities quickly
supported the tight marketing concept in place for the ‘Crooked Road’ project and
offered fiscal support.
The feature story provides a view of how a region can come together in spite of
judicial and political boundaries and respond to a universal voice—mountain music
heard around the world.