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With the dramatic decline of the region’s manufacturing sector, tourism
is becoming increasingly more important to the Patrick County economy. A number of area
businesses, especially those located in the westernmost portion of the County “on the mountain”
already actively target the traveling public. There is growing interest, however, among local
leaders and business and land owners both from “the mountain” and from other areas across the
County in developing this potentially lucrative market sector.
Patrick County’s location at the juncture of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the western Piedmont
presents area businesses with excellent opportunities to market their services and products to the estimated 7.6
million visitors brought to Southwest Virginia by the mountains, the National Park Service’s Blue Ridge Parkway,
and the region’s recreational, cultural and historic attractions. In years past, this market has gone largely untapped
in most areas of Patrick County but that is rapidly changing.
The Foundation is taking a leadership role in helping prepare the County’s businesses and workforce
to serve this important “new” market by partnering with local and regional organizations to provide customer service and
other tourism-related training. Starting in 2007, the Foundation, in partnership with the Patrick County Tourism
Division, Patrick County Cooperative Extension, the Blue Ridge Plateau Rural Tourism group and others will offer our first
hospitality services certificate course - the Tourism Ambassador program. This course is designed to provide County business
owners and their current and prospective employees with training in tourism-specific customer service skills and tourist-focused
marketing strategies. Participants in the program will learn about the region’s history, local points of interest and special
events and tour many of the area’s attractions that would be of interest to the touring public.
Our goal for the Tourism Ambassador program is to provide the tools that can help County business owners create a local
business environment that is not only tourist-friendly, but that actively encourages and assists visitors to make Patrick County and the
adjoining areas a preferred travel destination. Through this training, Patrick County businesses will have available a workforce capable of
providing more professional and knowledgeable customer and guest services in retail, dining, accommodations and resort settings. We
believe that better guest services will encourage visitors to stay longer, spend more money and return many times over the years to come.
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