PARKERSBURG, WV (April 27, 2009) -- The Greater Parkersburg Convention & Visitors Bureau has indicated that travel numbers and inquires were up in the first quarter of 2009.

“The CVB uses several statistical measurements to track the effectiveness of its marketing efforts and the health of the local travel industry,” CVB President Steve Nicely indicated. “While many other destinations are showing moderate to severe decreases in their numbers, Wood County has actually experienced increases through the first quarter of 2009.”

What the Numbers Show

                                                                                  Jan-Mar ’08       Jan-Mar ’09       % Change

Individual Inquires with a mail response                      685                      1,703                148.6%            

Individual Inquires with another response                    119                       171                   43.7%

Office Walk-in Visitors                                                     34                         62                     82.4%

Total Individual Inquires                                                838                     1,936                131.0%

Hotel Room Nights Sold                                               34,102                  34,491              1.1%

Hotel Tax Revenues                                                     74,404                  79,811              7.3%

“Not only are our inquires up, something we attributed in large part to our spring print and online advertising efforts, but even more significantly Wood County’s hotel room nights sold and over all tax revenues are up,” Nicely said. “A 1.1% increase in hotel room night sold is a great number to see in the present economic downturn and particularly during a ‘shoulder season’ for us.”

The bureau will continue its marketing efforts in the next two quarters through direct mailings, electronic travel magazines and publications, variety of leisure display advertising and the continuation of aggressively attracting sporting events and groups to the region.

For more information on the region’s travel industry, visit www.greaterparkersburg.com .

The Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitors Bureau was organized in 1985 and is an independent, nonprofit corporation dedicated to strengthening the area's economy by marketing Greater Parkersburg as a destination for leisure travel, group tours, meetings and conventions. The Bureau is devoted to providing appropriate services for visitors and its partners.

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