>>
>> THE
>> THE FIRST STOP IS HARLAN TOURISM.
TOURISM.
TOURISM. >> Reporter: FIRST OF ALL, THE
DRIVE HERE AND THE MOUNTAINS
AND THE SCENERY, THERE IS SO
MUCH TO COVER.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
LET ME BE THE FIRST TO WELCOME
YOU TO HARLAN COUNTY.
WE ARE IN THE HEART OF
KENTUCKY.
KENTUCKY.
KENTUCKY. OUR MOUNTAINS, EVERYWHERE YOU
LOOK, THE MOUNTAINS ARE
EMBRACING YOU.
EMBRACING YOU. >> YOU ARE USED TO PEOPLE
GOING, I DID NOT KNOW ALL OF
THIS WAS HERE.
>> WE HEAR THAT A LOT.
PEOPLE SEE IT LIKE A HIDDEN GEM
IN KENTUCKY.
IN KENTUCKY. KENTUCKY IS BLUEGRASS BUT WE
ARE BEYOND BLUEGRASS.
WE HAVE MANAGEMENTS AND
BEAUTIFUL SCENERY AND
ADVENTURE.
ADVENTURE. THRILL SEEKERS COME AND WHEN
THEY GET HOME THEY CANNOT WAIT
TO COME BACK.
>> TALK ABOUT THE LAST YEAR AND
HOW THAT BROUGHT YOU ALL TO
TODAY.
TODAY.
TODAY. YOU ARE SEEING, WHILE MANY
PLACES SUFFERED DURING COVID-
19, YOU SAW THE OPPOSITE.
>> IN TERMS OF WHAT WE OFFER
THE WORLD, WE ALREADY HAVE A
LOT OF SPACE.
YOU CAN SPACE OUT AND SOCIAL
DISTANCE AND HAVE A LOT OF FUN
AND STILL BE SAFE.
DURING COVID-19 WHEN YOU WANTED
TO GO HIKING AND EXPERIENCE THE
MOUNTAINS AND EXPERIENCE
SOMEWHERE THAT STILL FEELS SAFE
WE WERE A PERFECT PLACE FOR IT.
WE WERE UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO
WHERE ALL OF THE THINGS WE
OFFERED OUTSIDE OF COVID-19,
YOU CAN STILL COME DOWN AND
ENJOY YOURSELF.
ENJOY YOURSELF. DURING COVID-19 WE REALLY
CHANGED OUR MARKETING STRATEGY
TO JUST HIT DROP MARKETS.
SO IF YOU WANTED TO COME AND
EXPERIENCE THINGS YOU COULD.
DURING ALL OF THAT WE PROMOTED
ALL OF OUR RESTAURANTS, CURB
SIDE.
SIDE.
SIDE. WE
SIDE. WE CHANGED EVERYTHING ABOUT HOW
WE MARKETED OURSELVES AND WE
ACTUALLY SAW GROWTH DURING
COVID-19.
COVID-19.
COVID-19. >> NOT ONLY ARE YOU OPEN BUT
YOU ARE SEEING A GROWTH IN
PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES WANTING
TO SET UP SHOP HERE.
>> ABSOLUTELY, FROM 2019 TO THE
PRESENT DAY WE HAVE HAD 16
BUSINESSES OPEN UP AND A NEW
ATTRACTION OPENING UP.
THE BUSINESSES ARE DOING GREAT.
DURING COVID-19 THEY DID NOT
HAVE THE SAME KIND OF START UP
THAT MOST BUSINESSES DO BUT AS
WE ARE SEEING OPENING UP WE ARE
SEEING GROWTH FOR EVERY ONE OF
THEM.
THEM.
THEM. >>
THEM. >> YOU ARE REALIZING THE
NATURAL ASSETS AND SHOWING THE
WORLD THAT.
WORLD THAT. YOU HAVE THAT COAL MINING
HISTORY AND YOU ARE SHOWING IT
OFF SAYING YOU HAVE TO
REIMAGINE THIS.
REIMAGINE THIS. >> THE COAL INDUSTRY HAS
STARTED TO LEAVE OUR AREA.
WE HAVE BEEN OFFERED THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO REDEFINE WHO WE
ARE AND WHAT WE OFFER THE
WORLD.
WORLD.
WORLD. A
WORLD. A LOT OF OUR SMALL BUSINESS
OWNERS AND ATTRACTIONS FOCUSES
ON THE HISTORY.
THERE IS A SENSE OF, WHAT DO WE
HAVE TO LOSE.
IN TERMS OF THE COAL INDUSTRY,
PORT AUTHORITY ONE IS THE ONLY
MINE TOUR IN THE STATE OF
KENTUCKY WHERE YOU GO INTO A
WORKING MINE.
WORKING MINE. YOU GO 1,000 FEET INTO IT.
THERE IS IMAX TECHNOLOGY IN
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. IT
THERE. IT IS A COOL EXPERIENCE.
EVEN THOUGH WE DO NOT HAVE THE
PHYSICAL COAL MINING WE HAVE
THE HISTORY AND WE OFFER THAT
TO THE WORLD AS WELL.
BUT THESE SMALL BUSINESS
OWNERS, WE HAVE THE HARLAN BEER
COMPANY OPENING UP.
WE HAVE A HERTZ COFFEE SHOP
OPENING DURING COVID-19 AND
THEY DID GOOD.
>> AS FAR AS ADVENTURE SEEKERS,
PEOPLE ARE SEEKING THAT.
>> OUR MOUNTAINS, THEY ALREADY
HAVE THE NATIONAL ACCESS AND
THE TRAILS.
THE TRAILS. A LOT OF THE LAND CAN BE
RECLAIMED AND IT MAKES PERFECT
TERRAIN FOR ATVs AND ROCK
CLIMBING.
CLIMBING.
CLIMBING. THAT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST
ATTRACTIONS THAT WE HAVE, WE
HAVE A 700-ACRE ATV PARK.
THAT IS SOME OF THE HIGHEST
ELEVATIONS FOR ANY OF THESE
PARKS IN THE NATION.
>> THANK YOU FOR TAKING US ON A
MINI TOUR OF EVERYTHING THAT
THERE IS TO