WEST VIRGINIA (WOAY) – Condé Nast Traveler released 22 destinations in one of their latest travel guides, featuring the Wild and Wonderful as one of the best places to visit in 2022.
A list compiled from food, historic sites, the great outdoors and more, West Virginia has earned its spot as one of the best places to travel for next year.
Fayetteville Visitor Center Executive Director Tabitha Stover said, “We already know that it’s awesome, but now people are starting to see. I think we can compete with those world-class destinations because this is a really special place.”
One major highlight in visiting the state is America’s newest national park, home to the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve as well as it being paired with a national river.
Since the dedication, Fayetteville has been a hot spot for travelers to explore over 70,000 acres of the park.
“Just the announcement of the national park being here, the number of visitation of people coming through, it’s really sky-rocketed.” Stover said, “I think we saw a little bit of a boom with COVID, with people craving outdoor, open-air spaces, looking for safer alternatives of places to travel. Then we got the second wave with the national park and it keeps growing.”
The Mountain State secured a spot on the list right next to Indonesia, as the magazine also highlights other outdoor activities.
“We’ve always kind of been that secret.” Stover said, “People don’t know we’re here and that’s starting to change especially with the national park.”
Fayetteville makes a good home base to begin the adventures with world-class white water rafting, hiking and more.
