According to a recent study by the West Virginia Division of Tourism, tourists spend $800 million in the Northern Panhandle. Every year tourism dollars continue to rise.

The study shows that people are spending even more money in West Virginia and the Panhandle is one of the driving forces behind that.

The director for the Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau says the race track and gaming centers in Ohio and Hancock counties are one of the biggest draws to this area. There are also the big events that come through this area drawing people in from all over.

Just a few weekends ago the Blues Fest brought music to downtown Wheeling and in July the Upper Ohio Valley Italian Festival brought in hundreds of thousands of people.

Perhaps the No.1 industry in West Virginia is tourism at this point. Especially if you compare it with other industries like utilities, coal and steel. Tourism is a force to be reckoned with, said Director Frank O'Brien.

O'Brien says the Convention and Visitors Bureau is ready to add to the numbers. There are several ideas on the table including expanding the use of Heritage Port throughout the entire year. Currently O'Brien says more than 3,000 people are working in Ohio County's tourist industry. O'Brien says tourism in this area will not only help the economy but it also helps pay for many services. Without the tourist dollar, O'Brien says, each person would pay $730 more per year in taxes.