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The Charleston Gazette | 20 April 2007

Misperceptions hurt W. Va. rafting

By Phil Kabler

Would-be whitewater rafting tourists aren't coming to the New River Gorge because of misperceptions about the industry and the state, a study of focus groups in two nearby metro areas found.

Commissioned by whitewater outfitters with help from the West Virginia Division of Tourism, the study by R.L. Repass and Partners Inc. was looking at ways to offset a steady decline in the whitewater rafting industry.

Rex Repass told the state Tourism Commission on Thursday that the focus groups in Cincinnati and Fairfax, Va., revealed a variety of misperceptions among would-be tourists - including thinking that it is a long drive to the New River from those areas.

"Time constraints are a huge barrier," he said of reasons given for not visiting West Virginia. "The misperception that the drive times are longer than they really are is a barrier."

Another barrier is the perception that there is little else to do in the New River other than whitewater rafting, he said.

Focus group members said that, in addition to rafting, they would like to be able to participate in activities including horseback riding, hiking and dining in restaurants.

He said most group members were not aware that those activities are available in the New River Gorge area.

Repass said another barrier is that whitewater rafting is not perceived as a family activity.

"The perception is that whitewater is only for extreme outdoor adventurists," he said.

Among focus group participants who had never gone whitewater rafting, "fear" and "danger" were the most commonly expressed reasons, he said.

"There's a fear factor that's a barrier," Repass said.

He said whitewater companies might want to put less emphasis on images of extreme whitewater in their advertising, and put more emphasis on promoting family-oriented float trips.

Otherwise, he said the focus groups did not consider stereotypes about Southern West Virginia as a negative factor that would discourage whitewater trips.

Also, few in the focus groups had any awareness of the New River Gorge area, beyond citing the New River Gorge Bridge and the area's natural beauty, he said.

Nationally, whitewater rafting is in decline, primarily because the percentage of the population in prime age group for participants – 25 to 35 year olds – is declining.

Dave Arnold, a whitewater outfitter and commission member, said the only places seeing an upswing in whitewater rafting are in areas that are vacation destinations.

"We need to develop destination areas," he said. "And the bottom line is: The New River Gorge is not a destination area."

Repass said the study chose Cincinnati because it is a strong current market for West Virginia tourism, and the metro Washington area, because it is a key potential market.

Source: http://www.gazette-mail.com/

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