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News

Blackstone Valley Tourism Council wins international award

01:00 AM EDT on Tuesday, June 13, 2006
BY TALIA BUFORD
Journal Staff Writer

Twenty-one years ago, it was hard to imagine the Blackstone Valley as a vacation destination.

Touted as the birthplace of the industrial revolution, the valley boasted little more than a polluted river and a sagging economy.

"Years ago, people laughed," said Robert Billington, president of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. "Back then, people would say, 'who is this guy talking about tourism in a place where the river is polluted and there are abandoned mills? Why is he talking about history there? Who comes to Blackstone?'"

But thanks largely to the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, things are changing.

Today, visitors flock to the area to canoe and boat the Blackstone. Tours of the 21 communities within the valley introduce visitors to the treasures of the area, and festivals celebrate the area's diversity.

For its work in revitalizing the region, the council was recently honored by the United Nations World Tourism Organization for its vision. As a recipient of the 2006 Ulysses Prize, the council stands as a role model for tourism organizations around the world, Dr. Eduardo Fayos-Sola, of the World Tourism organization, said via e-mail.

"After many years of significant economic, environmental, socio-cultural and historical degradation, thoughtful tourism development and new approaches emerged in the Blackstone Valley to transform this desecrated landscape into an interesting place to live, work and visit," said Fayos-Sola, head of the Education, Training and Knowledge Department.

Headquartered in Madrid, the World Tourism Organization is a global think tank for tourism policy and a resource for successful tourism practices. Only six awards have been presented since the organization became a specialized agency within the United Nations in 2003. The award was created to recognize innovative approaches to tourism and destination management, Fayos-Sola said.

"The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council is distinguished from other tourism development agencies around the world by its innovative style of management used over the past years, which has efficiently used tourism as an instrument for development, creating a competitive and well-positioned tourism product," Fayos-Sola wrote.

The Blackstone Valley consists of 21 cities and towns along the 46-mile-long river in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The council focuses on the nine Rhode Island towns: Pawtucket, Central Falls, Cumberland, Burrillville, Glocester, Lincoln, North Smithfield, Smithfield and Woonsocket.

In the 1800s, the area became known as the birthplace of the industrial revolution, as people such as Samuel Slater used the mighty river to power textile mills along its banks in Pawtucket. By the 1900s, the mills were closing down and the river water was polluted by years of industrial runoff.

But the river that sat dormant for years was the key to revitalizing the community, Billington said, and paramount in reshaping the area's image. Focusing on improving community access to the river, the council was formed in 1985 and has since implemented initiatives and programs to instill a sense of place to the area.

The 1986 designation of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, which recognizes the historical importance of the valley, helped to lay the groundwork for establishing the area as a destination.

In 1989, the council launched a glass-bottom boat and took 2,600 people on tours of the polluted river over the next three years. Boat landings were erected in 1992 in Lincoln, Cumberland, Woonsocket and Central Falls, thanks to a million dollars the council raised. In 1993, the Blackstone Valley Explorer was launched, and in 1997 was joined by the Spirit of Blackstone.

A double-decker bus led visitors around the valley for three years, beginning in 2002. In January, the Blackstone River State Park Visitors Center opened on Route 295 in Lincoln. Events such as the Chinese Dragon Boat Races in Central Falls and attractions such as the Museum of Work & Culture in Woonsocket have also brought more people to the area.

Along the way, the council kept close tabs on community response to the changes to the valley, Billington said.

"The residents have to be happy with the location they live in," Billington said. "If the improvements are good for them, they'll encourage more. Look around: we have nine towns focused on creating a livable community. We were able to create a destination, and pride where there was none in the 1970s."

During the awards ceremony on June 1 in Madrid, Billington spoke to representatives from around the world about the methods the council used to revive the community.

"The tourism industry is about to be the largest industry the world has," he said. "Every state in this country and most cities and towns are interested in attracting visitors to their community. We can share what we know with them."

Even with its laundry list of accomplishments, the council says there is still much more left to do. Work to connect the valley with the statewide bike path is in the works. In addition to rebuilding the docks damaged by last year's storms, the council would like to see river landings between each of the 18 dams along the river and a boat operating between each dam.

"This area is so rich," Billington said. "There's so much here that we can tell American story with, unveiling it little by little. We just happen to be here at the right time to tell that story."

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Blackstone Valley Visitor Center, On the banks of the Blackstone, 175 Main Street, Pawtucket, Rhode Island 02860
1-800-454-BVTC (2882) Local: 401-724-2200 Fax: 401-724-1342 info@tourblackstone.com