A study released today suggests Virginia is succeeding in its 5-year effort to turn mountain music into moolah and bluegrass into greenbacks.
The Crooked Road, a state-marketed string of 28 musical venues and attractions in Southwest Virginia, has a total annual economic impact on the mountainous region of about $23 million, the analysis found.
The study, conducted by Sustainable Development Consulting International LLC of Lebanon, estimated that direct spending by visitors along the Crooked Road in fiscal year 2008 totaled $12.9 million, and that the road has created the equivalent of 445 full-time jobs since its inception in 2003.
"The Crooked Road is finding success in its mission, and we really need to keep pushing it and marketing it to the region," said Jonathan Romeo, executive director of the road. He added that the state and local governments have spent $1 million on marketing the Crooked Road since 2006.
-- Rex Bowman
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