ELKINS -
The Highland Adventure of Mountains and Rails will create a 90 mile link that will connect six counties.
Supporters said it will bring in $50 million a year to downtown Elkins.
"Give us a lot of opportunities for more lodging more dining more attractions to take advantage of the train station," said Brenda Pritt, Executive Director of the Randolph County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
"It can only be great for our area," said Jeff Loudin, General Manager of the Hampton Inn in Elkins.
The race to increase tourism in Randolph County isn't new.
The Randolph County Convention and Visitor's Bureau started this project years ago.
"We have been trying to make this a destination area for several years," Pritt said.
The Bureau said the hard work is finally started to pay off.
"We have been able to market to national areas bringing in group tours and individuals and now smaller businesses, startups are coming this way," Pritt said. "Social marketing, social media has also assisted us in bringing people to the area. So we've had a continued growth in tourism the past few years."
It's not just the influx in people. It's the influx in money too.
"We're seeing at least a 10-15% increase overall," Pritt said.
"Numbers have increased already, we usually see a slight decrease over the winter months but actually our numbers are up," Loudin said.
The railroad isn't finished yet, but Pritt said the numbers are up because of a new trend in traveling.
"They are looking for a wholesome kind of vacation," Pritt said.
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