DAVIS, W.Va., Oct. 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Last Saturday
morning, 33 passengers boarded a bus at Washington, D.C.'s Union Station for a weekend
trip. But this was no ordinary excursion: none of them knew where
they were going, and most didn't know their fellow travelers.
It may sound like the premise for a reality TV show, but blind
vacations—trips where the destination stays under wraps until the
participants arrive—are a fast-growing travel trend. Solo travel,
where adventurers embark on journeys without friends or family in
tow, are also gaining traction among younger travelers.
As the bus made its way out of the city, the passengers tried to
guess where they were headed. A little under three hours later—and
3,000 feet above D.C. elevation—they got their answer: West Virginia.
Passengers were greeted by a postcard-worthy view of the 13-mile
Canaan Valley between two of the
highest ridges in the Allegheny Mountains just as the area's
renowned fall foliage season kicked off.
"We were looking for a unique way to get people excited about
fall in West Virginia," said
Chelsea Ruby, the director of the
state's tourism office. "Our fall foliage is second to none and our
mountain towns are marvelous hosts, but a lot of travelers still
don't think of us as a fall destination. This event lets us cut
through the noise of everyday advertising and get our message out:
Come see West Virginia this
fall!"
Ten days before the trip, ads began appearing in the greater
D.C. area promoting a fall weekend getaway to a mystery
destination. Five hundred people applied to get in on the fun, and
a few days before the trip, 33 lucky winners got the news they had
been selected.
Their instructions: Show up at 7 o'clock Saturday morning with
layered clothing, hiking boots and a sense of adventure. The
mystery destination would take care of the rest. The spontaneous
strangers boarded the bus cautiously optimistic, buzzing about
where the mystery destination might be. By noon, they were dining
al fresco on a forest path overlooking the iconic Blackwater
Falls.
The next 48 hours featured a full schedule of some of the best
ways to experience West Virginia
in autumn. From adrenaline-pumping excursions at Seneca Rocks and NROCKS Outdoor Adventure to
exploring the small-town charm of Davis and Thomas and horseback riding in Canaan Valley, there was something special to
see and do at every turn.
"One of my favorite things about the trip was getting to meet a
lot of great locals," said Destination Unknown participant
Albert Ting. "My impressions of
West Virginia have certainly
changed. There's so much this state has to offer in terms of food,
culture and exploring nature. If there's anything on your bucket
list for vacation, West Virginia
will definitely deliver."
"I've always been a drive-through kind of girl, never stopped
and stayed, so this has been a great experience," Destination
Unknown participant Kristen Smith
said. "To stop, stay and see the beauty you don't get on the
highway has been a new adventure for me. I can't wait to go home
and tell friends and family that this is where we need to go
next."
The two jam-packed days offered just a sample of West Virginia in autumn, to the surprise and
delight of the participants. Although it took less than three hours
to make the journey from Washington, the sweeping mountainsides and
country roads give a feeling of being far away in a world that's
truly almost heaven.
Participants experienced some of the first fall color of the
season in West Virginia, as higher
elevations always change first. Other areas of the state are just
now starting to turn, so there is plenty of time to plan a fall
weekend getaway to Destination West Virginia.
More about fall colors and activities in all of West Virginia's travel regions, including a
live leaf tracker, is available at WVTourism.com/fall.
About the campaign
Meanwhile, in Washington, the
pixilated mystery ads that intrigued the participants were switched
out for ads that revealed West
Virginia in its full fall grandeur.
The goal of the campaign was to build intrigue and curiosity
that would ultimately reveal West
Virginia as a premiere fall destination and help potential
visitors see how beautiful, fun, and accessible the destination is,
especially for travelers in the D.C. metro area.
West Virginia has a lot to
offer yet largely remains a hidden gem. Less than a day's driving
distance from major cities like Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore and Cincinnati, the Mountain State wanted to
encourage people to pack up for a weekend adventure this fall.
West Virginia's award-winning
Almost Heaven ad campaign features the John Denver song "Take Me
Home, Country Roads." The success of the campaign over the last 18
months has resulted in increases in visitation, but the state's
Tourism professionals wanted to do more. Departing from a proven
campaign for an unbranded promotion was a risk, and the payoff was
tremendous.
About West Virginia Tourism Office
The West Virginia Tourism Office, an agency of the West Virginia
Department of Commerce, aims to promote West Virginia as a leading four-season travel
destination and top state in which to live, work and retire.
Known as the Mountain State, West
Virginia is one of the most scenic states in the nation and
is home to the beautiful Monongahela National Forest, six national
parks, and 45 state parks and forests. In addition to its majestic
mountains and rolling hills, West
Virginia is full of rich historic sites, enchanting art
galleries, charming towns and an immense sense of belonging found
only in its heaven-like landscapes.
For more information about West
Virginia and to plan your trip, visit www.WVtourism.com.
Gabriella Ach
gabriella.ach@bvk.com
414.351.9572
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SOURCE West Virginia Tourism Office