FACT CHECK: Morrisey says WV is ‘dominating’ surrounding states in tourism impact
By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV
Last Tuesday, during the Governor’s Conference on Tourism 2025, held in Morgantown, Governor Patrick Morrisey said that tourism generated more than $9 billion in total economic impact.
“That’s a new record,” Morrisey said. “When it comes to tourism, West Virginia isn’t just competing in the Backyard Brawl. We’re dominating.”
He then pledged, before an audience of tourism professionals, to “double down” on tourism investments in order to accelerate growth in the sector.
What is the ‘Backyard Brawl’?
During his first weeks in office this past January, Morrisey explained the concept of the “Backyard Brawl.”
“Every single day that I wake up, and every day that our whole cabinet wakes up, we’re focusing on how we can defeat all the states that we touch economically,” Morrisey said. “And it’s a good, friendly competition.”
Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia are all border states with West Virginia.
Morrisey said his administration would seek areas of competitive advantage for West Virginia with these bordering states in areas such as energy production, permitting, infrastructure, and tourism.
Is WV ‘dominating’ surrounding states?
Last week, Morrisey touted a $9 billion economic impact made by tourism on the West Virginia economy last year, which was a record.
According to data from the US Travel Association, the economic impact of tourism remains higher in all surrounding states than it does in West Virginia. The 2023 data shows the following levels of economic impact for tourism by state:
Kentucky: $13 billion
Maryland: $22 billion
Ohio: $27 billion
Pennsylvania: $32 billion
Virginia: $33 billion
While WV isn’t dominating, the numbers do show growth
A strict comparison of West Virginia to surrounding states is difficult due to the state’s lower population, which then correlates to fewer events, sports teams, and higher education institutions.
RealWV reached out to Drew Galang, Morrisey’s Deputy Press Secretary, asking for clarification on the governor’s comments. He referred us to a Tourism Economics Report for context, so we asked for a copy last week. As of publication time, Galang had not responded.
The US Travel Association numbers clearly show West Virginia last in comparison to all surrounding states in terms of tourism’s economic impact. Therefore, Morrisey’s assertion that his state is “dominating” surrounding states cannot be substantiated with available data and runs counter to public data.
The tourism numbers do show tremendous growth for West Virginia in a year, with an increase of 33% since 2023 to $9 billion. That is a promising development upon which Morrisey and his administration can continue to build.
