How will the state measure the success of the “Path Through History” program?

Mark Castiglione, the acting executive director of the Hudson River Valley Greenway and the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, said the state will be looking for evidence of:

Increased visitation at sites;

Increased travelers’ total spending; and

Strengthened partnerships between the pathway sites and the state travel industry.

BRAINSTORMING BREAK-OUTS

Break-out groups identified the Mohawk Valley Region’s assets and weaknesses, brainstormed about the “story/stories” they wanted to tell about the region, talked about ways of telling them, and identified existing tourism models that could potentially be used here. Here’s a sampling of participants’ suggestions:

KEY STORIES, PLACES AND EVENTS included broad themes and specific references:

Revolutionary War forts, people, campaigns, battles, and the like; Film and movie house history

Native American history

Early African-American history/abolitionists

Religious history and Saints

Craft beer industry

Industrial history/river

Mohawk Valley was gateway to the west

Canal and rail (transportation)

Architecture

Collections of art works

The Amish

Archaeology

Genealogies

Identify current stories

Grist mills

Literary tourism

Geology

Immigration

EXISTING TOURISM

MODELS THAT WORK

Mohawk Valley Library Association’s “I Spy” tours

History “passports”

Johnson Hall “Market Fair”

Fort Stanwix reenactments

Canal Splash

Maple weekends

Ag festivals

States of Virginia and Pennsylvania tourism

Mohawk Valley Heritage Corridor Commission’s Revolutionary War Map and “best practices”

Three Valleys to Freedom (brochure lists events)

State historic markers

Schoharie County has phone tour

Itinerary kits (pre-packaged booking)

Sharon Springs Victorian Christmas, Cooperstown historic and ghost tours

Johnstown cemetery tours

Fort Plain walking tours

Nashville all-access pass (set price)

POTENTIAL PROJECTS

GIS layers added to trails

CD-ROM tour of the state/routes

Clearing house/Registry of events

Cultural trail

Blend county tourism maps into regional

Take driving tours into new format (CD’s, phone apps)

Genealogy-themed event

Package deals

Eco-tourism

WEAKNESSES

Cost of liability insurance

Not enough money going to historic preservation

Infrastructure not tourism friendly

Tourism not valued by politicians as an economic tool

Site information needs to be online and up to date

— Linda Kellett