It was their first time visiting Kingdom Come State Park. For some, it was their first time visiting southeastern Kentucky's hill country.

After making the short trek Wednesday to the park's popular Creech Overlook, the entourage of state tourism directors vowed they had never seen such spectacular vistas.

"I'm just amazed at the natural beauty Harlan County has to offer," said Taylor County tourism director Marilyn Clarke. "I've never been in these parts before, and I've definitely been missing out on some of the most beautiful sights in the state."

Clarke's colleague, Logan County tourism director Lisa Browning, said she's trying to figure out how soon she can return to the area.

"I was excited about coming to Harlan County because I've never been this far east in the state before, and it's everything I hoped it would be and more. I'm not disappointed," she said. "This place is just absolutely gorgeous. It took me six hours to get here, and what's running through my mind right now is how fast I can get my husband and daughter to return here with me."

The group, which is made up of members of the Kentucky Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus (KACVB), took their lunch break at the park's gazebo before heading farther up on Pine Mountain for more sightseeing. Since arriving in the Tri-Cities Tuesday afternoon, they have been busy touring Lynch's Portal 31 and various historic sites in Benham. They also attended a lengthy agritourism meeting held at Cumberland's newly reconstructed Novo Theater.

The tourism directors were taking a quick breather in the cool autumn breeze atop Pine Mountain before hurrying off to a schedule packed with more sightseeing, discussions, and an evening trip, scouting for elk. But before loading back into their vehicles, Clarke and Browning took another look at the rolling mountains.

"We're just not use to seeing sights like this," Browning said. "We're from gently rolling hills."

"You mean flatter than a flitter!" Clarke humorously interjected.

It seemed to be the group's consensus that the county's natural beauty was its best feature, with its coal mining heritage serving as a close second. Several spoke of the "endless possibilities" Harlan County possessed for a prosperous tourism industry.

According to the group, local as well as state tourism trends are pointing toward nature and agriculture. Bowling Green tourism director Gary West said a few years ago they laughed at the prospects of agriculture attracting visitors.

"But people are coming to Kentucky to see tobacco farms, apple orchards, soy beans, sorghum," West said. "It's really amazing. There's an interest right now in seeing things from the past, and our state's agrarian lifestyle is very appealing to tourists."

While the western part of the state is making strides in agritourism, tourism directors agree Harlan County's concentration should be ecotourism and history.

"Your future is all around us," Clark said, waving out to the mountains. "And the stories that took place in these hills. You know, when I visited the coal mine museum last night, I spent an hour soaking in all the pictures and displays. I looked into their eyes of long ago coal miners, and I could see a wealth of history. There is a huge possibility for a viable tourism economy here. It just needs to be somebody's heartthrob."

Browning said Harlan County needs what the rest of the state's tourism offices need residents taking pride and believing in their hometowns. She said people take for granted the surroundings in which they live and don't realize how engaging it is to outsiders.

"Of course, I'm a big proponent of tourism, and I believe economic development just don't involve factories and industry," she said. "The obstacle the tourism business faces statewide is hospitality training teaching cashiers, gas station workers and others the art of sharing the area's history and making people feel right at home."

After their mountaintop lunch break and tour, they headed back down the mountain to look at local craftsmanship at the Poor Fork Arts and Crafts Guild. They were expected to take part in an elk scouting tour and pioneer dinner Wednesday evening, and a tour of Southeast Community College's Appalachian Center this morning.

KACVB conducts quarterly meetings throughout the commonwealth. The association was established in 1993 to provide supportive benefits to tourism directors that enhance proficiency in their jobs.