New tourism secretary focuses on submit-COVID travel possibilities

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The first secretary of tourism in West Virginia sees lots of opportunity for journey growth during the coming months in the Mountain Condition.

“When we appear to write-up-COVID journey trends, we see that men and women want to choose road excursions, they want to pay a visit to smaller towns and they want to get outdoor and check out mother nature,” reported Secretary Chelsea Ruby.

“All of all those issues can be observed here in West Virginia.”

Before this thirty day period, Gov. Jim Justice signed into regulation legislation that reorganized and redesignated the current state workplaces for both equally tourism and improvement as the point out Department of Tourism and the point out Department of Development.

“This is going to bring so a lot goodness and chance to our point out it’s unbelievable,” Gov. Justice reported at that time.

Previous Senate President Mitch Carmichael was appointed to serve as the initially advancement secretary.

Ruby was named tourism secretary after serving as tourism commissioner given that Jan. 2017.

Of the alter, “It sends a message to the country and to the entire world that tourism is of upmost importance right here in West Virginia. It’s an marketplace we feel in. It is an industry we see a good deal of advancement in,” mentioned Ruby.

“We are one particular of many states in the country now that has claimed tourism is a best precedence.”

Prior to her move to tourism, Ruby was the director of marketing and advertising and communications for the point out Section of Commerce and served as government director of West Virginia’s 150th birthday celebration in 2013.