E&M TRAVEL
Red River Gorge Kentucky
A Case For Care
Tourism and The RRG
The place has long been cherished by nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts
My family moved to the Red River Gorge Kentucky after the 2008 recession work in the micro-tourism industry. Six months became six years and we never left. I fell in love with the biodiversity of the region. To me it was a heaven on earth.
I studied the plants of the RRG under the tutelage of books and biologists drawn to the region for its natural richness. My favorite pastime was to explore remote areas in search of rare flowers and ferns.
Development
Investors flock to the opportunities
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In 2019 while a student at Berea College plans were publicly released to develop a destination resort in the RRG. These plans began 6 years earlier spear-headed by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce as a solution to the coal industry collapse of Eastern Kentucky. The Plan? "Tell us if there can be a well-planned modern Gatlinburg in Eastern Kentucky."
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Yet already the area experienced a million visitors a year. Millions of more visitors to this region would be a disaster. Already it was being "loved to death" as many say. Creating an attraction to draw a whole new demographic of people would have many negative effects.
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The grassroots community organization Red River Gorge United soon formed attempting in attempt to find better solutions and steward a very precious and unique place.
The Research
Tourism can be an amazing asset, but far too often it becomes and uncontrollable beast.
The next two summers I worked with the RRG United foundation in search of answers. In the meantime, officials purchased 891 acres of land to begin the project under after receiving a million dollars in grant funding to develop the project.
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My research found that the mass-scale tourism approach is a terrible solution for any region. Far from addressing the coal collapse of Eastern Kentucky, this project would actually make matters worse. Investors take the pay, residents take the hit, and the land is left irreparably scarred.
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Instead, a carefully planned dispersed tourism model promised a relevant alternative. Kentucky is full of beauty; the question is how to tap into that beauty in a way that is mutually beneficial to the people and the place. Small-scale dispersed tourism, if done right could jumpstart small businesses and community prosperity across an entire region.
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The Watson
A year of exploration
I applied for the Thomas J. Watson fellowship at Berea College in my senior year, as an opportunity to widen my horizons and gain a practical and experiential understanding of what other communities and regions have done to balance environment (often the draw of tourism endeavors, at least at first), the community, economic demand, and tourist experience.
Given the rise in demand for outdoor adventure tourism in America, and the natural beauty of eastern Kentucky, small-scale dispersed tourism may be a very important tool in helping Kentucky recover from the effects of the rise and fall of the Coal economy in the region.
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In March I proposed to Moriah Wilbur. Soon after we learned that I had won the Watson Fellowship to carry out this ambitious project. Moriah is a graduate of Berea College with a passion for healthy communities (hence her degree in Health and Human performance). She is currently working as a freelance grant writer connecting communities to resources to bring about lasting change.
Starting August 2023, we will travel the world together for a year, bringing back what we learn to Kentucky.
You can learn more about the events in the RRG by reading the articles I wrote for the Lexington Herald Leader.
1. July Floods Reveal the Past and Future of Eastern Kentucky
2. Tourism in the Red River Gorge Cannot Save All of Eastern Kentucky
3. Commercial Development in the Red River Gorge will Destroy its Natural Beauty
You can also read my academic research paper on the subject for a more detailed background: An Economic Way Forward For Eastern Kentucky.
Finally, you can visit Red River Gorge United Foundation and learn more here.