B M & T ••• May/June 2022 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com
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Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel
(800) ALABAMA
www.800alabama.com
Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
(800) NATURAL
www.arkansas.com
Visit Florida/Florida Tourism and Marketing Corp.
(888) 7-FLAUSA
www.visitflorida.com
Georgia Department of Economic Development
(800) 847-4842
www.exploregeorgia.org
Kentucky Department of Tourism
(800) 225-8747
www.kentuckytourism.com
Louisiana Office of Tourism
(800) 677-4082
www.louisianatravel.com
Mississippi Division of Tourism Development
(866) SEE MISS
www.visitmississippi.org
North Carolina Division of Tourism
(800) VISIT NC
www.visitnc.com
South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism
(888) SC SMILE
www.discoversouthcarolina.com
Tennessee Department of Tourism Development
(800) GO2TENN
www.tnvacation.com
Virginia Tourism Corp.
(800) VISITVA
www.virginia.org
West Virginia Division of Tourism
(800) CALL-WVA
www.wvtourism.com
G E T T I N G I N T O U C H
G E T T I N G I N T O U C H
Meeting planners will love the LEED® Gold Certified
Virginia Beach Convention Center. Just a few blocks from the
ocean, this 525,000-sq. ft. facility is one of the largest on the east
coast and arguably the premiere meeting venue in Virginia.
There are more than 10,000 hotel rooms citywide, with
3,500 within a two-mile radius of the convention center.
Town Center is the place to go for dining, shopping and
entertainment offering many of the name brands that are
familiar to us all.
W
Among the best places to enjoy the views of West
Virginia's picturesque landscape are the Bluestone
National Scenic River in the southern part of the state,
the Gauley River National Recreation Area in the south-
central area and the Midland Trail National Scenic
Highway near Charleston.
The Mountain State is world-famous for its crafts, and
one of the state's top art events is Charleston's Capitol
City Arts & Crafts Show in November. The Fenton Art
Glass factory near Charleston is open for tours.
For a closer view of the area's African-American cul-
ture and history, you can visit the Mattie V. Lee Home,
the residence of the first Black female physician in the
state; the Samuel Starks House, home of the nation's first
Black state librarian; the Black Culture and African
Heritage Center at Heritage Towers; and the Booker T.
Washington Memorial in nearby Malden.
For entertainment, consider heading over to the Mardi
Gras Casino & Resort in Crosslanes.
If the history, the culture and the landscape of the
South sound intriguing enough to start planning a trip in
that direction, you can get more information and ideas
through the state tourism offices listed with this article.
