Journey bus takes tour through region
By Paul Smith and Laura Ruby
Less than a week after earning a coveted designation for years of work in preserving historic and natural resources, the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership celebrated its accomplishment with a whistle-stop tour through the region.
Traveling from the Gettysburg Historic Train Station in Adams County, Pa. through Maryland and Fauquier County before heading on to Monticello in Charlottesville, the tour stopped six times along the way to thank supporters and urge travelers to take advantage of all that the area has to offer.
“Our region holds more history and heritage than anywhere else in the country. We're here today to celebrate becoming the 99th scenic byway in the country,” said Cate Magennis Wyatt, JTHGP president, referring to the Oct. 16 designation granted to the 180-mile long JTHG thoroughfare by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
The JTHG is a four-state partnership from Gettysburg to Monticello that brings businesses, developers, preservationists, heritage sites, residents and elected officials together to celebrate the impressive history made along Old Carolina Road, which is comprised of U.S. 15, Route 231, Route 20, and Route 53.
“This represents years of dedication to sustaining the unique cultural, historic and natural resources. We have a lot of people to thank,” Wyatt said.
The Journey Through Hallowed Ground includes nine presidential homes, thousands of national registered sites, 30 Historic Main Street communities and the nation's largest collection of Civil War sites.
"This proves we did the right thing,” she said, in reference to forming the Journey partnership in 1992. “We still have a lot of work to do, making people aware of this great heritage.”
In that vein, the JTHGP announced last week plans to launch a new certified hospitality-training program to help local businesses within the JTHG National Heritage Area reap the financial rewards from the flood of visitors expected to travel to the state during the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
This month, the JTHGP will kick off a new, groundbreaking Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) program.
“The Sesquicentennial of the Civil War has the potential to jump start the local economy, much like the Olympics or the Super Bowl coming to town,” said Wyatt.
“Tourism is the number one industry throughout the JTHG National Heritage Area, affecting one in every seven jobs in some partnering jurisdictions. We have a chance to make every visitor feel so welcome, so connected to our nation’s history, that they’ll come for the Civil War and leave with a burning sense to return for 100 other reasons.”
According to Wyatt, research indicates that interest in the Civil War's anniversary could double the number of tourists visiting the state's historical sites.
“Strong customer service is the number one tool to help visitors spend more time and money in any destination,” said Alisa Bailey, president of the Virginia Tourism Corporation. “Knowledgeable and trained personnel can help transform a visit into an extraordinary experience that visitors will never forget.”
Tourism in Virginia, for example, is one of the state's largest industries, generating $19.2 billion in revenue and supporting 210,620 jobs in recessionary 2008, according to a recent study published by the Virginia Tourism Corporation.
In the 10 Virginia counties within the JTHG National Heritage Area, tourism generated more than $2.93 billion in revenue.
Throughout the northern Piedmont, those numbers break down as follows: Fauquier County generated $146.62 million in revenue and 1,740 jobs; Rappahannock County earned $18.7 million in revenue and 190 jobs; Loudoun County $1.43 billion in revenue and 16,180 jobs; Culpeper County $27.55 million in revenue and 340 jobs, and Prince William County $438 million and 5,700 jobs, according to the VTC study.
Becky Crouch, manager of the Fauquier County Visitor's Center, noted that the county is home to 13 Virginia Civil War Trails program sites and hopes to reap the benefits of increased tourism during the anniversary period.