Just Google it; search engine spokesman talks tourism in West Virginia

The official spokesperson for Google told a crowd of West Virginia tourism experts Tuesday the state may have a niche for those who

want to get off the grid.

Google’s Daniel Sieberg was the keynote speaker during the final day of the Governor’s Tourism Conference in Charleston. He said everyone is so connected these days there’s a movement to at least spend some time unconnected and that’s where West Virginia and its tourism attractions could benefit.

“You know what? I just need to put my devices away for a bit and actually go whitewater rafting or go hiking and not worry about not checking my email for a few hours for the world is going to carry on without me,” Sieberg said.

He grew up in Canada but has lived in New York City for several years with his wife and children. He said “getting away” is also something he’s dealing with.

“It’s increasingly something a lot of us feel. It’s tugging at our psyche. It kind of goes against human nature to be out of the environment that you want to be in all the time,” he said.

But Sieberg said there must be a balance. He said those in the tourism business must do their best to take advantage of those who live each day connected through their smart phones and tablets.

“We need to figure out, who are our customers? What are we trying to say to them?’ And then understanding a little about those people,” Sieberg said. “Are they coming to us, the tourism state, because they want to disconnect? Or are they coming to because of convenience and they want to be connected?”

Those attending the tourism conference also heard from other experts Tuesday.