It was First Lady Suzanne Carcieri’s idea. Proud of the Ocean State’s natural beauty and cultural heritage, and aware that many Rhode Islanders don’t know the treasures hidden in their own communities, she thought it would be nice to organize a tour to show state natives what they had been missing.
The R.I. Division of Tourism worked with regional tourism councils and AAA of Southeastern New England to develop an itinerary, and on May 1, 2004, Gov. Donald L. Carcieri and Mrs. Carcieri led 1,000 people on 22 buses on a tour of “the best of Rhode Island,” from the Newport Mansions, to Pawtucket artist studios.
The event, priced at $15 for adults and $10 for children, was billed as an “unprecedented opportunity” to “visit the sights that visitors travel hundreds or thousands of miles to see.”
And it was such a success that it’s been repeated every year since, growing to 1,200 participants, with new sights and activities to keep the tour fresh for returning participants. This year, two dozen tours were offered at sites across the state.
On Tuesday, the program, “Tour Rhode Island: There’s No Place Like Home,” will be recognized on the national level as a success. It’s being honored with an Odyssey Award at the Travel Industry Association of America’s Industry Awards Gala in Charlotte, N.C., in the category of geotourism “for sustaining an indigenous culture or community.”
In a news release announcing the award, TIA President and CEO Roger Dow noted that the Odyssey Awards are “an unparalleled showcase of inspiring, successful work across the U.S.,” and the winners “have demonstrated creativity, resourcefulness, community involvement and solid business results.”
David C. DePetrillo, the Rhode Island state tourism director, noted that the Odysseys are the biggest awards in the U.S. travel industry, like the Academy Awards are to film.
Rhode Island did have a leg up in this particular category, however, in that it already has been gaining recognition in geotourism; earlier this year the state joined a geotourism initiative from the National Geographic Society, which was also the judge for this Odyssey category.
And this program seemed to be a perfect fit for the award, DePetrillo said.
“If you look at the definition of geotourism, this is it,” he said. “It’s not only tourism, but it’s educating our residents about our own assets and what’s real and authentic about those natural and cultural assets. Geotourism really is as much about visitors to our state as residents of our state, and having a good quality of life. … We felt this seems to embody what the award is for.”
The Tour Rhode Island offerings include tourist must-sees such as the Newport Mansions, but also lesser-known destinations that really highlight Rhode Island traditions as cultural treasures: Kenyon’s Grist Mill, for example, and Scialo Bros. Bakery.
One tour allowed visitors to sit on the stage at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium with the Rhode Island Philharmonic. The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council has been particularly supportive of the program, DePetrillo noted, introducing state residents to the northern part of the state and exotic offerings such as Woonsocket “dynamite” sandwiches.
“If you look at the itineraries, we try to visit some very local places, see how a product is made, and see places that we’re pretty sure many of them haven’t seen,” he said. “The most common comment you hear people say is, ‘I can’t believe this is in Rhode Island.’ ”
Tour participants spread the word about what they have experienced, DePetrillo added, “and it just builds up a constantly growing group of people that are becoming not only more educated about what we offer in Rhode Island, but they’re becoming more positive about our natural and cultural assets, and that builds pride.”
Building pride, of course, was the whole point of the endeavor, and as DePetrillo sees it, it goes hand in hand with promoting tourism.
“If you have a greater sense of pride, you’re more likely to support keeping our customs and traditions, and support the acquisition of scenic lands and wildlife areas, and support the preservation of historic buildings,” DePetrillo said. “And since that’s the very essence of what we promote to out-of-state visitors, it all works together and it benefits everyone.” •
