Virginia Coastal Zone Management - Spring/Summer 2007
Visit the Middle Peninsula!
Step 1: Go On-line!
www.visitrivercountry.org
Access an interactive map of the region
Use the search tool to locate coastal experience sites
Print out or e-mail a detailed trip itinerary
Step 2: Get Out There!
Explore the Middle Peninsula’s Coastal Experiences, On-Line and In-Person
By Jacqueline Shapo, NOAA CSC Coastal Management Fellow
Trip planning has evolved into a virtual experience. Yet, on-line access to many of Virginia’s rural coastal communities has not been easy to navigate. As a result, these communities are not benefiting from the increased revenue being generated by the on-line tourism market.
The Middle Peninsula has put out its Internet welcome mat with a new project funded by Virginia CZM. The Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission (MPPDC) partnered with the Middle Peninsula Tourism Council and Vanguard Web Studios to design a pilot website – a dynamic, easy-to-navigate guide to “coastal experiences” in the Middle Peninsula. Thanks to an enthusiastic response from the region’s communities, the website is growing.
The “Coastal Experience” website highlights destinations that offer some access or connection to the water, including all publicly owned boat ramps, parks, natural areas, fishing piers, and beaches. The website encourages visitors to paddle a water trail, fish from a pier, and explore a nature trail or natural area boardwalk. The website also encourages visitors to patronize one of the many businesses that support the Middle Peninsula’s coastal economy or are unique to its cultural or maritime heritage.
The Middle Peninsula Tourism Council is hosting the website. The Council represents six counties and three towns on the Middle Peninsula and is staffed by tourism marketing representatives that know the Peninsula well. The Council also serves as the Middle Peninsula’s Destination Marketing Organization (DMO). DMO’s promote Virginia tourism at the state, regional and local level and focus on compatible, sustainable economic growth. Since the Council, by virtue of its representation, reports back to the MPPDC and the PDCs member localities, it is the ideal organization to host the pilot website and maintain its content.
For all involved, the hope is that this dynamic pilot website will expand to include all Virginia coastal localities and promote environmentally-sensitive and sustainable tourism across the coastal zone.
