HOME . Sustainable Tourism . Articles . Blog . News . Calendar . Links . Contact Us  

 

  About the Lab | Programs | Our Team | Workshops | Awards/Testimonials | Presentations/Reports | Blackstone Valley Story

Latest News

Provide your email address below to receive periodic information about the Lab and sustainable tourism industry.


 

S

Stay tuned for latest list of recent news.

Archived News

November 20, 2019 (Golocalprov): Lt. Governor McKee Launches International Economic Ambassadors Initiative  More

Bob Billington and other locals attend the State of the Union Address:  WJAR TV - Channel 10 | Providence Journal

Cicilline Invites President of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council as State of the Union Guest  More

Obama signs national park bill into law More | Main Story | Editorial | Press Release | Senator Jack Reed's Website

Read comments by Bob Billington and official press release from Senator Reed's office More | Providence Journal Op Ed | Journal Story

December 20, 2014: Providence Journal - Obama Signs National Parks Bill for Blackstone Valley: More

Other National Park News: Main Story | Editorial | Press Release | Senator Jack Reed's Website

October 18, 2011:  WPRI - Blackstone Valley Could Become Park
WOONSOCKET, R.I. (WPRI) - Officials from the National Park Service were in Rhode Island today to discuss how the Blackstone River Valley could become the country's next national park. Congress is considering making the historic corridor a national park, which would give the region constant federal funding and protect its historic standing. The area is of great importance to America's Industrial Revolution, as many mills and factories dotted the valley. Curators at the historic Slater Mill say it would be incredibly important for the Valley to gain that standing as federal money would keep the area's manufacturing past alive. Two representatives from the National Park Service told a conference that sustainable tourism is the key, and spoke with local officials to explain how sustainable tourism can best be implemented.  More

October 18, 2011: Boston Globe - Federal Officials Visiting Rhode Island for Event
PAWTUCKET, R.I.—U.S. National Park Service officials are visiting Rhode Island to discuss how the federal agency can help the state develop sustainable tourism. Dean Reeder and Desmond Lee, who work for the Office of Sustainable Tourism, are scheduled to speak at a workshop Tuesday at the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center in Pawtucket. The center is part of the Blackstone Valley National Heritage Corridor.  The Sustainable Tourism Planning and Development Laboratory is hosting the workshop. The lab is an educational and consulting business sponsored by the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. Its mission is to help communities and others approach tourism with the goals of creating a cleaner environment, stronger economy and better quality of life.  More

October 18, 2011: The Republic - Federal Officials to Participate in Tourism Workshop at Blackstone Valley Visitor Center
PAWTUCKET, R.I. — U.S. National Park Service officials are visiting Rhode Island to discuss how the federal agency can help the state develop sustainable tourism. Dean Reeder and Desmond Lee, who work for the Office of Sustainable Tourism, are scheduled to speak at a workshop Tuesday at the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center in Pawtucket. The center is part of the Blackstone Valley National Heritage Corridor. More

June 20, 2011: Cash Prize offered by Sustainable Tourism Planning and Development Laboratory for Sustainable Tourism efforts 
The Sustainable Tourism Planning and Development Laboratory is accepting applications for the 2011 ARISTA, granted for notable achievement in Sustainable Tourism. This recognition comes with a $250 cash prize in each of three geographic areas: Rhode Island, New England and USA. Non-governmental organizations, individuals or businesses whose tourism development projects or programs meet the criteria for Sustainable Tourism are eligible. More | Providence Business News

March 6, 2011: Norwich Bulletin - Tourism expert: Make Norwich appealing to residents first Last Monday, I drove up to Pawtucket, R.I., to interview Robert D. Billington, president of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. A Rhode Island native, Billington is an internationally respected authority on tourism and its role in the economic redevelopment of towns and cities. Before a city becomes a tourist destination, Billington said, it must first focus on making itself a great place to live and work for those who already live there. “If we can make it a good place for us,” Billington said, “it becomes an attractive place to visitors.” Billington said Norwich’s new $3.38 million Downtown Revitalization Program is an excellent example of the kind of self-investment the city needs to make if it is to become attractive to new businesses, new residents and visitors. “You’ve got a tool (the bond package) we would die for” is how he put it. More

February 17, 2011: Ozgur Tore - Nominations open for UNWTO Ulysses Awards PDF
Nominations are officially open for the 2011 UNWTO Ulysses Awards. The Awards seek to recognize highly innovative tourism projects which have contributed to tourism policy, governance, and other areas, such as the environment, socio-economic development and new technologies. More

The NPS Takes a Fresh Look at the Blackstone River Valley
In October 2006, Congress passed legislation to reauthorize the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission for an additional five years. While the Blackstone River Valley was designated a National Heritage Corridor in perpetuity by Congress, the federal management presence will only exist as long as the federally created Corridor Commission continues to operate. The reauthorization legislation also required the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a Special Resource Study (SRS) to explore the potential for a permanent National Park Service (NPS) presence in the Blackstone Valley. A possible result of the study could be Congressional action creating a new unit of the National Park System in the Blackstone Valley. The SRS, which is being managed by staff from the NPS’ Northeast Regional Office, will focus on sites and landscape features that contribute to the understanding of the Blackstone Valley as the birthplace of the American industrial revolution. More 

To learn about the study, including the five proposed management options, please see the June 2010 Blackstone SRS Newsletter.

Archived News


 
About the Lab . Programs . Our Team . Workshops . Awards/Testimonials . Presentations/Reports . Blackstone Valley Story
HOME . Sustainable Tourism . Articles . Blog . News . Calendar . Links . Contact Us  
 

Sustainable Tourism Planning & Development Laboratory, c/o Blackstone Valley Tourism Council  175 Main Street  Pawtucket, Rhode Island  USA  02860
401.724.2200    info@sustainabletourismlab.com