BLACKSTONE VALLEY, USA

Winner Destination Stewardship Award 2008

Since 1985 the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council has been a force behind the rebirth of the Blackstone River Valley, Rhode Island USA. With an integrated, community-centered, resilient approach to tourism development, the Council has worked to help transform a polluted, spiritless landscape and river into an emerging visitor destination. Residents have regained a sense of pride in their home and banded together to ensure the future protection of the Blackstone Valley in order for residents, commerce and visitors alike to enjoy the story of the Birthplace of America's Industrial Revolution. By developing a tourism system in the Blackstone Valley, the Council has succeeded in uniting a community; awakening it to its potential and the need to preserve the natural, cultural and historical features of its physical surroundings. And along the way, the Council has gained international recognition and created a sustainable, enjoyable visitor destination. Through innovative projects like the Sustainable Tourism Development and Planning Laboratory, the Council continues to grow and enhance its many offerings while sharing the lessons it has learned with the international community.