Mode of Program Participation
Academic Scholarship
Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
Sour Grapes: House Bill 2 ("the bathroom bill") and the potential impacts on wine tourism in North Carolina
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
The Yadkin Valley area of North Carolina, formerly a major tobacco producing area, is rapidly embracing wine and wine tourism as a major component for economic growth. Over forty wineries now exist in the Yadkin Valley region, as well tangential industries such as hotels, campsites, rental cabins, restaurants and even micro-breweries that have rallied around the emergence of the wineries and are banking on the further development of the region as a tourism destination. After withstanding a significant backlash from a very vocal Baptist opposition to the region’s new focus on wine, it appears that the Yadkin Valley is set to become one of the premier viticultural areas in the Eastern United States. However, a new threat to the continued growth of this nascent industry has emerged in 2016. North Carolina House Bill 2, commonly referred to as the “bathroom bill,” has generated a great deal of attention for the state since its passage in March 2016. Numerous corporate expansions into the state have been halted, and many concerts, sporting events and conferences scheduled to take place in North Carolina have been cancelled or moved. Economic experts claim a negative impact on the state economy of approximately $400 million as of September 2016. Officials from the NC wine industry, tourism and development groups and LGBTQ organizations were interviewed regarding the challenges now facing the emerging wine tourism in North Carolina and this paper examines the potential economic impacts with the adoption of HB2.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Aron Massey is an Assistant Professor of Geography and Planning at West Liberty University near Wheeling, WV. He is also a Doctoral Student in the Geography Program at West Virginia University focusing on Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining, political ecology, and economics of Appalachia.
Sour Grapes: House Bill 2 ("the bathroom bill") and the potential impacts on wine tourism in North Carolina
The Yadkin Valley area of North Carolina, formerly a major tobacco producing area, is rapidly embracing wine and wine tourism as a major component for economic growth. Over forty wineries now exist in the Yadkin Valley region, as well tangential industries such as hotels, campsites, rental cabins, restaurants and even micro-breweries that have rallied around the emergence of the wineries and are banking on the further development of the region as a tourism destination. After withstanding a significant backlash from a very vocal Baptist opposition to the region’s new focus on wine, it appears that the Yadkin Valley is set to become one of the premier viticultural areas in the Eastern United States. However, a new threat to the continued growth of this nascent industry has emerged in 2016. North Carolina House Bill 2, commonly referred to as the “bathroom bill,” has generated a great deal of attention for the state since its passage in March 2016. Numerous corporate expansions into the state have been halted, and many concerts, sporting events and conferences scheduled to take place in North Carolina have been cancelled or moved. Economic experts claim a negative impact on the state economy of approximately $400 million as of September 2016. Officials from the NC wine industry, tourism and development groups and LGBTQ organizations were interviewed regarding the challenges now facing the emerging wine tourism in North Carolina and this paper examines the potential economic impacts with the adoption of HB2.
