Rural destination management organizations (DMOs) are faced with considerable challenges as they attempt to promote economic prosperity through tourism. This study sought to identify rural destination management challenges in Tucker County, West Virginia; identify the roles and activities of the destinations DMOs in addressing these challenges; and develop a perceived destination management framework. DMO challenges include maintaining authenticity and sense of place; economic diversification; seasonality, low wage jobs, and lack of employees; connecting resorts to small businesses and communities; and establishing a common vision, identity, and coordination of activities. While the majority of tourism literature calls for DMOs to play a dual marketing and management role, this paper makes an important contribution by identifying the need for a Convention and Visitors Bureau and a separate organization with a specific mission to sustainably develop and manage tourism and coordinate activities of the stakeholder network.

This paper analyzes the effect of social capital on resident attitudes toward tourism and support for tourism based on data collected from 637 residents in Tucker County, West Virginia. Data analysis includes descriptive analysis, factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, multi-group analysis, and ANOVA. Results confirm findings of other studies that concern for the potential environmental, and social impacts of tourism and long-term planning have a direct positive effect on support for additional tourism development. In addition to the direct effect of the social and environmental impacts of tourism and long-term planning on support for tourism, this study identified that a common vision and participation in local organizations and informal social groups has a significant direct effect on long term planning and protection of community values and an indirect effect on support for tourism development. In addition, significant differences were identified according to group, stake, and power in the community.