Tourism Business Numbers Level Off Following Pandemic Boom
Plus, report argues "microgrid" law to attract data centers violates state Constitution
By Mat Cloak, contributing writer
Tourism and other business activities in the area appear to be leveling off and decreasing in some instances, local businesses report, following a burst of economic activity in Tucker County during the pandemic years.
Summer rental data supports that business has slowed.
“While in 2020 and 2021 we had extremely high occupancy numbers for summer, in 2022 and 2023 this number had already started to level back to more standard numbers,” said Becky Ray, MountainTop Realty property manager. “Now in 2024 and 2025 we have returned to our pre-COVID numbers for summer rentals.”
The number of days rented through Best of Canaan Realty reached a high in 2022 with 3,165 from June 1 to August 31. That number dropped to 2,453 in 2024. So far this summer Best of Canaan has rented 1,868 days.
“I would say that we are going back to previous numbers a bit. They're not what they were during Covid,” Best of Canaan broker Amy Barb said.
However, competition from Airbnbs could be affecting rentals through realty companies.
Country Roads News previously reported on a slowdown in the local housing market.
The annual hotel occupancy tax revenue from the past six years also confirms a leveling off in visitation numbers, though not a return to pre-pandemic levels. There was a 67 percent hotel occupancy tax revenue increase from 2020 to 2021. Since 2021, the annual tax revenue has hovered around $1 million.
The data is for fiscal years that end on June 30. For example, the data for 2020 is from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020.
Visits to the Dolly Sods Wilderness appear to be leveling off as well. Dave Johnston, Dolly Sods stewards program coordinator for the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, said a pattern of rainy weather may have suppressed visits this summer.
“The rate of increase has slowed, but the numbers we are getting at the trailhead registration are continuing to rise,” Johnston said. The organization tracks Dolly Sods visitation through trailhead registration.
He added, “more and more people are coming here. It's just not as rapid of an increase as it was during the pandemic.”
Johnston noted that the number of visitors to the Dolly Sods increased about 25 percent from 2022 to 2023, but the number of visitors inched up less than 2 percent in 2024.
Service industry businesses are reporting mixed results this summer. Sirianni’s General Manager Mike Goss said this summer’s business pace is consistent with previous years. He attributes the steady business to the closing of Hellbender Burritos and Sirianni’s consistent hours of operation.
TipTop Owner Cade Archuleta reported a continued increase in sales, but that increase has slowed down following a peak in 2023. Blackwater Bikes reported they are on pace for a record sales year.
Purple Fiddle owner John Bright said his business is holding steady. “Tourist traffic is up slightly, especially on holidays and summer vacation season. Right on record numbers pace, just barely,” John Bright.
More News
Report Says Data Center Law Violates State Constitution
A new report says that a law enacted earlier this year to make West Virginia more attractive to data centers violates the state’s Constitution.
The report from the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy says the “microgrid” law, HB 2014, violates a provision of the state Constitution that says county commissions have the authority “to lay and disburse the county levies.” The report cites other constitutional concerns.
The report also argues that the law is so vague that it leaves a number of issues unresolved for local officials, such as whether a county health department could regulate food services or sewage disposal at a data center.
The report estimates the impact of the law on a hypothetical $2 billion data center complex on the Tucker County budget, and on local schools. It found that that Tucker County schools would lose $1.9 million annually, or about $1,914 per student, due to the microgrid law’s diversion of local property taxes from data centers to state coffers, even after adjustments under the state’s school aid formula.
When contacted for comment, Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s office issued a statement to Country Roads News disputing the report. “The bill is designed to benefit the entire state, dispersing tax revenues across different funds to help counties pay for essential services and infrastructure improvements, lower the state income tax, and make future investments in economic development,” Morrisey’s office stated.
The governor added that the report relies upon “a misreading of the Constitution” and he is confident the law will be upheld in court.
Click the headline below for a compilation of the major stories published about the proposed local power plant and data center complex.
Mountain State Spotlight recently published an explainer on the data centers, the microgrid law, and their potential impact on Tucker County and other communities. Click here to read that story.
Library Fundraising Event
Friends of the Mountaintop Public Library will hold a garden party at 4 p.m. Saturday, August 2. Tickets cost $50. The proceeds will support the library building fund and general operations. The event will be at the home of Katy White, 137 Katy Lane, near Timberline Mountain. Click here to register for the event.
Keep up the good reporting!