December 8, 2012
George Hohmann: Golf's limited potential
Advertiser

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Golf and film production have limited potential for expansion in the state, according to the West Virginia Ten Year Tourism Plan, written by AECOM Technical Services Inc. for the state Division of Tourism.

AECOM's study ranked the various components of the tourism sector by analyzing the component's size and overall growth trends, as well as studying the competitive context and importance to the state.

Golf and film production received the lowest rating.

"The golf industry remains challenged as a result of overbuilding in the 1990s and early 2000s and new golf course development has slowed significantly," the study said.

"While film production is an important industry in terms of economic impact, it remains a niche market within the state relative to other industries, with increasing competition from other locations," the study said.

Gaming, spectator sports, NASCAR and theme parks scored high with respect to overall industry size and potential growth trends. However, "all of these industries rated relatively low with respect to ease of implementation (there are a limited number of nationwide developers and operators) and competitive environment," the study said.

*

Here's a reminder that Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's 2012 Energy Summit will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday at the Marriott. Among the scheduled highlights:

* A presentation on the fiscal impact of energy industries on the West Virginia economy by Mark Muchow, deputy secretary of the state Department of Tax and Revenue.

* State energy plan recommendations by Tom Witt, former director of West Virginia University's Bureau of Business and Economic Research; Cal Kent, former vice president of Business and Economic Research at Marshall University; and Christy Risch, director of research at Marshall's Center for Business and Economic Research.

*

Recommended Stories

Copyright 2012 The Charleston Gazette. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Popular Videos
The Gazette now offers Facebook Comments on its stories. You must be logged into your Facebook account to add comments. If you do not want your comment to post to your personal page, uncheck the box below the comment. Comments deemed offensive by the moderators will be removed, and commenters who persist may be banned from commenting on the site.
Advertisement - Your ad here
Get Daily Headlines by E-Mail
Sign up for the latest news delivered to your inbox each morning.
Advertisement - Your ad here
News Videos
Advertisement - Your ad here
Advertisement - Your ad here