GREENBRIER COUNTY, W.V. — A group in West Virginia's Greenbrier County is hoping to cash in on a new trend. They want "hipsters" to head for the hills.
The effort is looking for ways to attract the hip and cool crowd to a life that combines adrenaline adventure with small town living.
"Who's been coming here? What do they think of us?" asked Kara Dense.
The study on the tourism industry in Greenbrier County is being called a vibrancy assessment.
“It’s just a little softer adventure that’s maybe a little bit more relaxing than the adrenaline pumping adventure that you do in the New River Gorge,” Dense told WVVA.
The study pinpointed a whole new trend, one that towns outside of Greenbrier County could also capitalize on.
It's called "hipsburbia." It's a combination of hipster and suburban, but it's not happening in the suburbs. It's happening in small towns all across America.
"Gen Z and millennials are going - as they age and have families - they're looking for what we call 'hipsburbia.' And their definition is small towns outside of major urban areas; so that's the new suburban. But they're wired and they're authentic and they're real and there's not a lot of clutter," said Ralph Thompson.
There's no shortage of authenticity in West Virginia's small towns, which may mean visitors could turn into residents. Which would make some of those tourism dollars a bit more permanent.
“It’s a huge industry here in the Greenbrier Valley. $237 million was spent by visitors just here in Greenbrier County alone,” said Dense.