2025 Annual Report

Mission

The Mercer County CVB creates economic growth promoting the county as a destination.

Tourism Works in Mercer County

Tourism Spending:

• Every day, visitor spending brings more than $600,000 into Mercer County’s local economy.
• +7.86% visitor spending growth (2023-2024)
• Visitor spending in Mercer County has grown by more than 50% since 2019, outperforming pre-pandemic levels.

Annual Tourism Activity

• Generated $219.56 million in visitor spending
• Produced $42.55 million in payroll
• $57.68 million in food and beverage
• Generated 20.19 million in combined state and local taxes
• More than 1,656 jobs were directly attributed to tourism

2019-2024 Tourism Spending Trend

Economic numbers provided by Economic Impact of Visits to WV by WV Tourism and Tourism Economics. (Revenue in Millions)

• 2019 – $143.7
• 2020 – $116.6
• 2021 – $155.5
• 2022 – $183.2
• 2023 – $203.6
• 2024 – $219.56

Taxes generated by visitor spending represent a tax savings of $827 per household.

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Administrative Standard of Excellence

In 2024, Visit Mercer County achieved significant milestones in tourism leadership, advocacy, and recognition. By representing our region at key industry events and collaborating with statewide leaders, we have strengthened our role as a vital contributor to West Virginia’s tourism success.

This year, our efforts were recognized on a grand stage as we were honored with the Best Public Relations Award at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism. This prestigious accolade highlights our dedication to sharing Mercer County’s story in innovative and impactful ways, showcasing our region as a premier travel destination.

Additional Highlights Include:

• Participated in West Virginia Tourism Day at the Capitol to connect with state leaders and promote Mercer County’s unique attractions.
• Engaged in professional development at Hospitality University, refining our strategies to enhance visitor experiences.
• Hosted a Tourism Workshop in March of 2024 with the WV Department of Tourism and Digital Relativity for our partners.
• Through these accomplishments, our administration team has continued setting the standard for excellence, ensuring Mercer County’s voice is heard and celebrated across the state and beyond.

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Strategic Project Highlights

Mercer Street Grassroots District Visitor Center

Design and build-out are underway for the new Mercer Street Grassroots District Visitor Center. Envisioned as a uniquely Appalachian space, the center will inspire hometown pride among residents while helping visitors turn travel ideas into meaningful itineraries-creating a welcoming hub that reflects Mercer County’s character, creativity, and community spirit.

Swing Upgrade

The beloved “Almost Heaven” swing at East River Mountain Overlook received a thoughtful refresh this year, including a full cleaning and refinishing to preserve both its beauty and longevity. As one of Mercer County’s most photographed scenic assets, and part of West Virginia’s iconic swing trail, the restoration ensures visitors continue to enjoy a safe, picture-perfect experience overlooking the breathtaking mountain vistas. Maintaining signature attractions like this reinforces our commitment to enhancing the visitor experience and protecting the natural beauty that defines Mercer County.

New Website

Accessibility was the main focus for the website redesign. The new site was built so more people can comfortably find information and plan a trip, including visitors who use screen readers, voice controls, larger text, or other assistive tools. It is easier to navigate, works better on phones, and follows recognized accessibility standards. This update helps ensure Mercer County’s travel information is open and welcoming to everyone.

Website Data

In 2025 Mercer County CVB’s newly redesigned website became a strong driver of awareness and visitor action. With a refreshed, modern feel and expanded paid media support, the site welcomed more than 317.000 active users and 316,000 new users – an increase of over 18% year over year – resulting in more than 360,000 sessions. While average engagement time dipped as advertising reach expanded, overall traffic, views, and on-site activity continued to grow. Most importantly, visitors were taking meaningful next steps. Travel guide requests surged by nearly 128%, newsletter sign-ups increased 69%, and partner clicks climbed to nearly 44,000 – clear signs that more users were moving from inspiration to trip planning and local business engagement. Site Traffic compared to 2024 – 317K active users (+18.3%), 316K new users (+18.2%), 360K sessions (+12.42%). Top 5 Pages – ATVs (old site), ATVs (new site), Outdoor Recreation (old site), Travel Guide, and Great Outdoors (new site). Engagement compared to 2024 – 470K views (+4.6%), 1.5M events (+1.9%). 17s avg. engagement time (-42.6%). More paid media can result in lower engagement. Spend nearly $44,000 more in paid media in 2025 vs. 2024.

Top States Visiting the Website

1. Virginia
2. Pennsylvania
3. Ohio
4. North Carolina
5. West Virginia
6. Texas
7. Florida
8. Georgia
9. New York
10. Michigan

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Campaign Performance

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Social Insights

In 2025, you watched our videos on social media about Visit Mercer County 4.5 million times

Campaign and social media efforts significantly expanded Mercer County’s digital foot print in 2025. The “Things To Do” Google Search campaign captured high-intent travelers actively researching the region, while the ATV and Great Outdoors campaigns delivered millions of impressions and hundreds of thousands of clicks, reinforcing Mercer County’s position as a premier outdoor recreation destination. Across social platform, engagement accelerated. Facebook interactions and video views grew dramatically, Instagram saw improved engagement rates and follower growth, and TikTok emerged as a breakout channel within more than two million video views. High-performing content-particularly featuring the Mountain Coaster, ATV adventures, Pipestem, and travel guide promotions-demonstrated strong audience resonance and strengthened Mercer County’s reputation as an exciting, accessible, and uniquely Appalachian place to visit.

Results

Facebook

• Audience: 31,696 (+53.4%)
• 12,720,648 (+29.1%) impressions
• 223,338 (+207.6%) engagement rate
• Shares: 11,026 (+222.8%)
• Video views: 2,488,272 (+154.6%)
• Top Posts: Mountain coaster, travel guide, Pipestem aerial tram, Holiday of Lights

Instagram

• 335,120 (-61.3%) impressions
• 9,012 (+7.9%) engagement rate
• Shares: 2,201 (+261.4%)
• Engagement Rate: 2.7% (+178.9%)
• Followers: 6,484 (+15.4%)
• Video views: 217,589 (+112.2%)
• Top posts: Mountain coaster, dining, Princeton Railroad Museum, Almost Heaven Swing, Bramwell

TikTok

• Video views: 2,275,631 (+999%)
• Reached audience: 2,183,501 (+999%)
• Profile views: 78,133 (+999%)
• New followers: 3,659 (+999%)
• Likes: 57,299 (+999%)
• Shares: 11,314 (+999)
• Top posts: Mountain coaster, ATV, outdoor recreation, Pipestem

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Earned Media Success

Mercer County CVB’s 2025 public relations efforts delivered record-breaking results, generating 231 media placements across 75+ outlets and 11.9 billion total online impressions. With 71% of coverage in top-tier publications and a 75% quality score, the campaign emphasized strategic storytelling around outdoor adventure, small-town charm, and heritage tourism. Editorial value reached $331 million-up 19% year over year-positioning Mercer County as a must-visit Appalachian destination with sustained, always-on national visibility. The @EmilyGoesPlaces campaign invited audiences to experience Mercer County through immersive storytelling and visually rich itineraries. From waterfall trails to cozy cabins and scenic overlooks, her content captured the spirit of adventure and authenticity-guiding travelers on where to stay, eat, and explore while inspiring meaningful, memory-making Appalachian getaways.

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