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Blackstone Valley Tourism Council Inc
Emplacement
Our mission since 1985 is to create positive community change using the principles of responsible and sustainable tourism. We believe that by developing whole communities through place-making, we will create a demand for tourism, a stronger economy, and a sustainable growth pattern that will be beneficial to both our residents and visitors alike.
A propos de vous
Section 1: You
Prénom
Bob
Nom
Billington
Website URL
Organization
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council Inc
Pays
États Unis, RI
Section 2: Your Organization
Nom
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council Inc
Site Web
Téléphone
401-724-2200
Adresse
175 Main St. Pawtucket, RI 02860
Votre organisation est-elle une
organisation à but non lucratif
Pays
États Unis, RI
Your idea
Name Your Project
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council Inc
Country and state your work focuses on
États Unis, RI
Describe Your Idea
Our mission since 1985 is to create positive community change using the principles of responsible and sustainable tourism. We believe that by developing whole communities through place-making, we will create a demand for tourism, a stronger economy, and a sustainable growth pattern that will be beneficial to both our residents and visitors alike.
Website URL
Innovation
What makes your idea unique?
We have been “single-minded” since our existence and refuse to go backwards. Beginning in the 1930's the Valley that birthed innovation in America has seen an out-migration of industry and talented people. This has lead to disinvestment, industrial buildings being abandoned, and villages falling into decay. The Tourism Council works on the premise that “authenticity matters” and seeks to bring the history, culture, and the environmental story to the forefront of the Valley's agenda. Residents must be provided the primary benefits that tourism can offer. We work first for our residents then our visitors.
The Tourism Council has spent the last twenty five years developing a tourism industry in one of America’s most unlikely places: The Blackstone River Valley. People look at the Valley and see a place that used to exist and one whose glory days are over. When we originally said the words 'tourism' and 'Blackstone' in the same sentence, we were met with laughter. That industry simply never existed and seemed totally outside of the norm. But we see the Valley as a place that still does exist and whose glory days are ahead. The come-back story is just about to be written. We have dedicated ourselves to create a place that will be equally desirable for residents and visitors based on the Valley's ever changing culture and long-standing history. The new cultures that continue to find a home here in the Blackstone Valley are a critical part of our evolving story.
The idea of creating tourism in a place like the Blackstone Valley is uncharted territory. Our hope is to build a positive future for our residents. While we cannot foresee the outcome, we can manage the process.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
Non
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
What impact have you had?
Despite a severely depressed local economy and a vanishing manufacturing base, the Council has been successful at growing tourism into a vital contributor using the Valley's story. The history of the Valley is a real American story and must be protected and shared. The Blackstone River was declared dead and anything regarding tourism was non-existent in the 1970's. That was then. Now, the Valley is serving as a place where communities can learn about how to bring back a community by understanding its history and engaging its cultures. A place that few would have thought of as a ‘destination’ is now home to popular river tours, scenic rail tours, museums, and culturally relevant activities. The Valley's appeal was strengthened when it was declared a National Heritage Corridor by the National Park Service in 1986. Currently, the National Heritage Corridor, which the Tourism Council is a leader in, is working to create Rhode Island's first National Park.
Problem
There is not enough funding to do all that we need to do. The difficult part of our work was and continues to be convincing local authorities, businesses, and residents that the Valley is important and has a story to tell the world. Our work needs to be relevant to the future of the Valley and we need the message understood. We must work with vigilance to encourage our leaders and ensure that they are on a forward track moving towards these goals.
Rhode Island has the highest poverty rate in New England and our communities of Woonsocket, Central Falls and Pawtucket have the highest poverty rates in the state. This is caused by a struggling economy and high unemployment. The neglected urban infrastructure is our canvas on which to create a revitalized Valley. Our projects create a vibrant scene of sustainable tourism related activities that help to boost the local economy and create jobs.
Actions
The Tourism Council and its Sustainable Tourism Laboratory undertake numerous projects and programs to help encourage and facilitate the revitalization of the Blackstone Valley in a sustainable and a whole-community manner. Programs are designed to incorporate community engagement, collaboration, and to promote sustainable principles in the Valley. Examples of these efforts include: the building of three 49-passenger riverboats and one canal boat all constructed to educate school children, residents, and visitors about the history of the Blackstone River Valley; the Broad Street Regeneration Initiative as a three-community street-front redevelopment effort; the creation of a Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island scenic railway program; development of experiential weekly tours to Blackstone Valley's minority-owned restaurants; the creation of local community events; and the Blackstone Valley Detours program, which introduces visitors to the less-traveled roads of the Valley. These are all examples of projects that we feel are successful in that are partner oriented and regionally broad.
Results
Our existing projects have been successful by bringing residents and visitors to the Valley. Among the most popular event is the Polar Express Rail Excursion; an event that brings thousands of families to the Valley to celebrate their holidays. Another event that the Council created is our Blackstone Valley Culinaria Secret Ingredient Tour. This helps local restaurants provide a simple hands-on experience for people to enjoy the cultures of the Blackstone Valley. Visitors tour our museums, eat local, stay in our hotels and bed and breakfasts, and shop in local businesses. Visitors are now creating jobs for local people and preserving our historic buildings and our environment through the revenues they generate. Our expectation is to attract responsible visitors, grow our economy, and to create awareness by showcasing our sustainable principles.
What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years? Please address each year separately, if possible.
In order for the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council and its Sustainable Tourism Planning and Development Laboratory to continue its success, a secure source of funding must be identified. While we struggle to maintain past and current projects, the only way for the Council and the Valley to grow is to find funding to maintain our current staff levels. We have consistently invested in people over advertising and promotion. We have developed a theory that we call Program Driven Marketing. Meaning that our staff can put together a program that will compete better than an advertisement for the Blackstone Valley. Our funding, however, is patched together with grants and it is not stable. A question is always: will we be able to be provide a solid future for the staff and their valuable talent?
Year one: Develop new innovative programs and a marketing strategy that will help position the Blackstone Valley and our Sustainable Tourism Laboratory as a place where communities can come to learn community based tourism, collaborative engagement and sustainable principles.
Year two: Begin Marketing the Valley and the Laboratory. The Tourism Council has little funds to promote the Blackstone Valley and no funding for the Laboratory. Communities coming to learn in the Blackstone Valley or staff from the Laboratory visiting other places, national and international, will provide funding back to the Blackstone Valley programs.
Year three: Become sustainable as an organization. Fund the starved programs and projects in the Blackstone Valley and increase our outreach to our partners and other communities to share our knowledge and experiences.
What would prevent your project from being a success?
As a 501(c)3 organization working in a disadvantaged community, revenue on most projects reaches a break-even point. While we are satisfied with our work in the community, this model will only be sustainable with additional sources of funding. Without such measures, the Tourism Council runs the risk of losing its talented staff and in turn, losing the value for the Blackstone Valley that the staff provides.
Successful tourism development is a local initiative. There are always threats to the existence of any community based organization. Assisting to strengthen the Blackstone Valley to achieve its full potential will be based on continuing leadership, partnership and relevancy. The Tourism Council works to bring these qualities each day to the forefront of our work.
How many people will your project serve annually?
Plus de 10,000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
$1000 - 4000
Does your project seek to have an impact on public policy?
Oui
Viabilité
A quel étape votre projet en est-il ?
En place depuis plus de 5 ans
In what country?
États Unis, RI
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
Oui
If yes, provide organization name.
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council
How long has this organization been operating?
Plus 5 années
Does your organization have a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board?
Oui
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with NGOs?
Oui
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with businesses?
Oui
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with government?
Oui
Please tell us more about how these partnerships are critical to the success of your innovation.
The Council has partnerships on all levels of government, local, state and federal. It also has several on-going Non-Governmental Organizational relationships. The Cities of Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Cumberland are involved in our Broad Street Regeneration project. This street was the center of commerce activity in the 1800's but is now being challenged with bad development that is hurting its local historic structures. Through a Preserve America grant, work is being done to maintain the structures and bring new life to these communities. The project includes working with city planning departments, mayor’s offices, public works departments, resident groups, and business owners. These partnerships have been critical in dealing with issues involving local festivals, infrastructure, public funding, etc. We also have a working relationship with organizations related to affordable housing, community development, downtown advocacy and local arts. Finally, the Council has developed a vital relationship with the Blackstone Valley Merchant Association.
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization?
1. Financial sustainability for the organization and thus being able to provide the benefits the Blackstone Valley needs. We would like to be able to afford young new talent that is seeking an opportunity to change the world and help them to make that change here in the Blackstone Valley first.
2. While we are a teaching and learning organization we continually seek to know and learn more. We have been successful in bringing the best and the brightest thinkers to the Blackstone to share their knowledge, however we have a difficult time affording them. We would like to be able to bring in more teaching talent and send our staff to other places to learn.
3. It is a challenge for us to share our work with others and tell our story around the world because it is expensive. The ability to be able to prepare, present and represent the Blackstone Valley and the Sustainable Tourism Laboratory at national and international events will help us create an interest in the work of the Blackstone Valley. We hope that this interest will translate to a community that is seeking to develop sustainable tourism by inviting us to help them and fund that experience. This earned income will be invested into the creation of new tourism development projects for the people of the Blackstone Valley.
The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
We did not have a brilliant landscape to work on but we felt if we primed the pump using proper place-making techniques eventually good things would happen. The Valley's story is one of instability. Our future is plagued with industrial damage left from our past. To even think about a sustainable future, the Valley first has to come to a sustainable present, while reckoning with a severely polluted place. Millions of dollars have been spent to bring buildings, our river, and our industrial brownfields back to a livable condition. This is where our tourism development initiative began in 1985 - this is when innovation started. The Blackstone had to discover itself and determine what story to tell residents, future generations, and visitors while beginning the clean-up.
If real change is to be made and tourism is actually going to help residents, it has to be performed in a holistic manner. First do no harm and then try to do the most good for the most people. Traditional methods of redevelopment did not work in the Blackstone Valley. Receiving a “no” to something we wanted to achieve just emboldened our mission even more. The more “no's” we heard the harder we would fight to change the status quo. We now have enough critical mass in our work that we have created believers. We raised pennies and dimes to build a riverboat in 1993. Everyone thought it was a crazy idea to build a boat for a river polluted as long and as bad as the Blackstone was. Since the Blackstone Valley Explorer was launched and it has carried more than 375,000 passengers. School children who became part of our “River Classroom” program are now adults and vote! We are counting on them to help continue the change.
Another defining moment of innovation came from those outside the Blackstone Valley in the late 1990's when market forces and developers converged on the Blackstone Valley to create innovative uses for our vacant industrial complexes. Over $350,000,000 of private investment has been spent to restore and beautify dozens of vacant mill buildings along the Blackstone River. These developments provide a tax base and housing for new members of the community who provide vitality, audience participation, and sweat equity to our local museums, theaters and historic sites that continue to seek new blood and help for their efforts.
Tell us about the social innovator behind this idea.
The social innovator behind the idea was the thought that through tourism we could make a difference in the post-industrial Blackstone Valley. During the 1980's, when industry was making an exodus from the Valley and the unemployment rate stood at 14%, Bob Billington headed the Factory Outlets Association. He realized that there was a shift away from manufacturing in the economic future of the Valley. Self-effacing and likable, Billington seems more like a Little League coach than a guerrilla-style civic and environmental activist. He saw the potential for tourism in this Valley that was the Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. This was a time that Blackstone Valley was not even thought of as a defined area and the residents never identified themselves as from the Valley. At the time the Tourism Council was established, an important concept was recognized, it was critical for our communities to include tourism development in their comprehensive plans. However when Bob said the words 'tourism' and 'Blackstone' in the same sentence, he was met with outright laughter and officials who suddenly had appointments to keep. Through persistence, collaboration and persuasion, he was able to convince the decisions makers. Inclusion in the communities comprehensive plans allowed a whole community approach that included tourism. At the time this was a radical approach, a systems change; most tourism agencies in the United States were marketing agencies focused on promotion rather than principled tourism development. While our mission was to promote the Blackstone Valley it was a decision to take a different path to accomplish that mission. This collaborative approach attracted people who started to believe in and become proud of the fact that they were from the Blackstone Valley. In order to get the work done it has been necessary to form partnerships and collaborate with organizations not primarily thought of as involved in 'tourism.' It is equally important to reach out to all in the community, to build and grow responsibly, to educate students about history of the place and environmental concerns, and to encourage local clean ups and greening projects to provide volunteer opportunities for our residents, as it is to support development that enhances and endorses community goals. If we build the community that residents are proud of, you will have a place that visitors will want to visit.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Personal contact at Changemakers
If through another, please provide the name of the organization or company
50 words or fewer
 | STPDLab said: Thank you for your kind words Cynthia. We have great community leaders here in Blackstone Valley but much of what they have to focus on ... about this Competition Entry. - il y a 681 jours lire plus > |
| cmdrayton said: Hi Bob, What terrific work you are doing in the field of local and sustainable travel. Can you talk about what kind of policy change ... about this Competition Entry. - il y a 689 jours lire plus > |
| STPDLab updated this Competition Entry. - il y a 692 jours |
| STPDLab updated this Competition Entry. - il y a 694 jours |
| STPDLab updated this Competition Entry. - il y a 694 jours |
| STPDLab a soumis cette idée. - il y a 715 jours |
