“Our entire team is thrilled to be working alongside the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation to further unify the region around this world-class asset,” said Eric Woolridge, director of planning at Destination by Design. “There is so much amazing talent found here in the heart of Appalachia, and we feel especially fortunate for the opportunity to engage with so many great people and communities here in our backyard.”

Destination by Design will facilitate detailed listening sessions in all 29 counties in the Parkway corridor, followed by a dozen regional meetings to explore specific issues and opportunities. The resulting action plan will identify key projects to advance economic development in multiple communities within the Blue Ridge Parkway corridor. 

This effort marks the first time in the Parkway’s 87-year history that all 29 Parkway counties have engaged together to develop strategies benefitting the park’s neighboring communities. It is funded by two complementary grants Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation received from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The grants designated $393,193 for Virginia and $517,924 for North Carolina. They are funded through the American Rescue Plan Act and U.S. EDA’s programs to advance economic recovery and resilience in travel, tourism and other sectors.