Canal District and Worcester in Regional Tourism Spotlight May 11
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
Worcester to be featured in "Southern New England Discovery Tours" on May 11. Graphic: DestinationWorcester
Southern New England Discovery Tours, in conjunction with the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, will be coordinating 14 "discovery tours" throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut that day.
“As part of the Tenth Annual Celebration of National Travel and Tourism Month, the City of Worcester is excited to welcome Southern New England Discovery Tours to our vibrant City,” stated Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty. “I look forward to personally greeting our guests at Union Station on May 11. The City of Worcester and our hospitality community ensures that our guests have a great experience and will want to come back to explore more of what the City has to offer.”
The three tours that encompass Worcester area attractions on May 11 will be "Voices Echoing Throughout the Blackstone Valley," which includes a stop at Liberty Farm for lunch; "Bold Knights, Big Cats," featuring a visit to Higgins Armory before making its way to Southwick's Zoo in Mendon, and "Worcester and its Vibrant Canal District," highlighting the Blackstone Canal Museum, Crompton Place, and other spots of note.
"We're looking to market the whole of Southern New England as a unit," said Lesley McLaughlin with the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. "Not only can we show that there are great day trips for locals, but the multi-destination tours allow us to market Southern New England attractions successfully domestically, as well as internationally. "
Worcester Tourism Community Buzzing with Excitement for Tours
John Giangregorio with the Canal District Alliance was bolstered by the announcement. "Tourism is the #3 industry in the state. This serves to reinforce our vision of why we opened up the canal in the first place,"said Giangregio. "We are excited that the Canal District will be highlighted in one of the tours. We look forward to welcoming tourists this year and growing tour opportunities in the future.”
The Canal District tour will contrast the new Worcester developments with its refurbished 19th Century architectural past. Guests will tour Union Station, hop on the Canal District Wagon "The Blackstone Belle," and walk the "By The Canal" tour. Guests will view the new Worcester Blackstone Canal Museum located in the Crompton Loomworks Building and have the opportunity for lunch in one of the many great Canal District lunch spots.
Deborah Packard with Preservation Worcester mentioned the award-winning audio tour as being a highlight to look for when the tourists come in for the day. The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) named Preservation Worcester a recipient of a 2012 Leadership in History Award of Merit in recognition of its "By the Canal" self-guided tour of Worcester’s Canal District..
This tour highlights eleven buildings that reflect the history of both the city and the neighborhood. Nine were built before the Blackstone Canal, which first opened in 1828, was covered over in the late 1800s. “The ‘With the By the Canal Tour’ participants will uncover surprising bits of history and hear stories about the people, events and economy that made Worcester the city it is today,” stated Packard
Southern New England Discovery Tours will have fourteen tours in total, including the three in Worcester. Partners on the 2013 Worcester tours and on the effort to proactively create new future tour opportunities include the City of Worcester Mayor’s Office, City of Worcester City Manager’s Office, City of Worcester Cultural Development Office, Canal District Alliance, Central Massachusetts Convention & Visitors Bureau, Destination Worcester, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, Preservation Worcester, Worcester Historical Museum and Local Worcester First.
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