Governor Timothy M. Kaine celebrated Virginia’s role in the new Appalachian Driving Tours Map, a partnership of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and National Geographic Society. The map insert will be in the April issue of National Geographic Traveler and features 28 driving trails in the nation’s Appalachian Region. Nearly 20 sites along Virginia’s Crooked Road and Wilderness Road, from bluegrass venues to state parks, are highlighted as part of an effort to increase tourism in Appalachia.

“Tourism is one of Virginia’s most powerful industries and key to the economic development of our smaller communities,” Kaine said. “Tourism provides quality jobs that cannot be outsourced and helps preserve Virginia’s unique heritage and culture.”

Tourism is a $17.7 billion industry for Virginia, providing more than 208,000 jobs and $1.2 billion in state and local taxes. According to the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), tourism is a $740 billion industry, employing nearly 7.5 million people in the United States in 2006.

The map’s online component at www.visitappalachia.com features interactive driving tours, a downloadable PDF of the map, Google map features to help travelers plan their next driving vacation to Appalachia, and links to the 13 Appalachian State Tourism offices for additional information.