The Shadow
ALLEGHANY HIGHLANDS, Va. (VR) — The Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce & Tourism (AHCC&T) is celebrating a second consecutive record-setting year, with 2025 standing out as one of the most successful years in the organization’s history for both tourism growth and local business support.
The year was defined not only by strong numbers, but by what those numbers represent: increased visitation, tourism brand growth, stronger engagement with local businesses, broader regional and national visibility, and measurable economic impact felt across the Alleghany Highlands.
Tourism Growth That Translates into Local Impact
In 2025, AHCC&T increased its direct support of tourism-related events and initiatives by 35%, helping local organizers expand or enhance festivals, outdoor races, arts programming, and community events that draw visitors into the region and generate spending at local businesses.
The organization’s tourism website—VisitAlleghanyHighlands.com—continued to grow as a primary trip- planning tool for visitors:
175,000+ page views, up from 160,000 in 2024
Active users increased 23%, meaning more unique visitors exploring the region
Sessions increased 26%, showing visitors are spending more time researching trips Tourism social media platforms also saw significant growth:
32,000+ followers on Facebook
7,000+ new followers added in 2025 alone
Engagement increased 35%, indicating stronger interaction with content
More than 5 million people reached, compared to 1.1 million in 2024
“These numbers show that more people are discovering the Alleghany Highlands, engaging with our content, and ultimately choosing to visit,” said Lacy Meyer, Marketing Coordinator for the Chamber.
Outdoor Events & Economic Impact
AHCC&T-supported outdoor events—such as The Jackson River Scenic Trail Marathon – a Boston Marathon Qualifying Race, the Agony in the Alleghanies Gran Fondo cycling event, and the Lake Moomaw One Mile Swim at Cole’s Point Beach—continue to be a major driver of overnight stays and visitor spending.
In 2025:
693 participants (plus their families & friends) attended the Chamber’s annual Outdoor Event Series, up from 609 in 2024
These events generated an estimated $348,776 in local economic impact, compared to $196,707 the previous year
This impact reflects spending on lodging, dining, retail, fuel, and other services during event weekends.
“Outdoor events are a powerful economic engine for rural communities,” said Chamber Event Coordinator, Makayla Nobles. “They fill rooms, pack restaurants, and introduce new visitors to businesses they may return to again and again.”
National Marketing, Influencers & Travel Media
In 2025, the organization advertised the Alleghany Highlands in numerous publications and media outlets nationwide, increasing awareness well beyond the region.
AHCC&T also hosted four nationally recognized tourism influencers, collectively representing hundreds of thousands of followers:
With Sunshine Sol (Sunshine Rose) – 433K followers
RVA Hiker Girl (Jaqueline Holzman) – 142K followers
Happily Ever Exploring (Aleah & Seth) – 108K followers
Kim Hiked It (Kim Debes) – 70K followers
These visits supported:
Six local bed & breakfasts
Eight local restaurants
15+ local businesses and attractions
Influencer visits generated 1.5+ million views on Instagram alone, not including additional reach on Facebook and TikTok. Sunshine Rose also responded to over 500 individual requests for her Alleghany Highlands itinerary—demonstrating strong interest from potential visitors.
Additionally, AHCC&T hosted travel writers from Blue Ridge Motorcycling Magazine and Backroads Magazine, resulting in long-form editorial coverage highlighting the region’s scenic roads, outdoor recreation, and small-town character directed at the growing motorcycle travel market that frequents
the region more and more each year.
Chamber Growth & Business Engagement On the Chamber side, 2025 was equally strong.
The Chamber’s website saw significant year-over-year growth:
Active users up 81%
Sessions up 63%
Page views up 51%
Membership engagement also reached new highs:
A record 51 new Chamber members joined in 2025 and 92 new members in just 2 years!
Membership renewals increased 9%, reflecting strong retention and added value in membership
The Chamber hosted 75 events throughout the year, averaging more than six events per month. These included networking events, educational workshops, ribbon cuttings, business celebrations, community- focused programs and much more.
New initiatives such as Chamber Chats, a video interview series spotlighting local businesses, nonprofits, and leaders, helped further connect the organization’s work to the community and highlight the people behind the region’s success. Additionally, events like the Chamber’s Merchant Meetups which have been very popular, Business After Hours, Lunch & Learn opportunities and other similar events are all being provided more frequently than ever before.
In 2025, the organization along with the support of numerous local partners, also wrapped up the multi- phase regional signage and wayfinding project, improving visitor navigation, enhancing the overall visitor experience, and helping guide travelers more easily to local attractions, downtowns, and businesses throughout the Alleghany Highlands.
Looking Ahead to 2026
Looking ahead, AHCC&T is focused on building on this momentum and expanding its impact even further in 2026.
“In 2026, we’re taking everything we learned from this record year and using it to go even bigger,” said Executive Director, Josh Taylor. “We’ll be working closely with lodging stakeholders to increase overnight stays, launching Tourism Talks, our new tourism-focused podcast, applying for funding for potential infrastructure upgrades at tourism sites, and many other exciting projects, but most of all, we are excited to continue on this path of growth and collaboration, telling the Alleghany Highlands story in new and creative ways.”
Planned initiatives include:
A series of local events celebrating VA250 Commission
Hosting a different tourism influencer each month from April through October
Debuting a new destination marketing video
Refreshing the official Visitor Guide
Rolling out the newly completed Tourism Strategic Plan
“2025 showed what’s possible when communities, businesses, and partners work together,” said 2025 Chamber Board President, Jon Fitzgerald. “Our board and the Chamber team are excited to carry that energy into 2026 and continue delivering real, measurable results for the Alleghany Highlands.”
