Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., each have major allure as historical tourism destinations. But Robert Burke, owner of the Federal Reserve and Pot au Feu restaurants downtown, wants to give them some competition to reckon with.
On May 5, Burke unveiled his new “Independence Trail Providence,” a walk through the city that starts and ends at the Federal Reserve and features Rhode Island favorites such as clear clam chowder, clam cakes, jonnycakes and coffee milk. Roughly 500 people attended.
“It was more like a parade than a tour,” Burke said. “I think this is something that Rhode Islanders are really hungering for.”
And Burke hopes it is something tourists and business owners will hunger for as well.
He formed a new company in February, Independence Trails of Rhode Island, which has already launched itsfirst product: a private trail tour and luncheon for businesses and organizations looking for a new type of corporate outing.
MRINetwork, a national management recruitment company with franchises across the country and in Providence, will be holding a regional meeting combined with an Independence Trail tour next month, said president Michael Jalbert.
It is a great opportunity to raise awareness of the Providence market, Jalbert said.
Independence Trails’ next product will be trail tours for school groups at a discounted rate, Burke said. The company is also developing historical self-guided and guided tours of specific areas such as Federal Hill. But those will evolve in stages.
Though he hasn’t set all those prices yet, Burke said, the company will produce maps, a Web site and a downloadable audio tour for Independence Trail Providence that will be free to the public.
“We will have advertising products available across the gamut,” he said.
From map ads and Web site ads to links off the Web site to Rhode Island businesses that want to reach that market, Burke expects the company won’t have a problem producing enough revenue to support the free products.
The trail leads people through the city in a way that showcases retail stores and restaurants as well as historic landmarks along a two-mile trail that runs from the Federal Reserve across the river to South Water Street, and then along South Main Street, and then to Prospect Park, and then back to the Burnside Memorial at Kennedy Plaza.
“I think the idea is great,” said Daniel Baudouin, executive director of the Providence Foundation. “It is something the community should develop … it ultimately can increase the amount of tourism and economic activity in the city.”
Burke hopes at this time next year that “we will have a permanent Independence Trail.” All it takes, really, is painting a line on the sidewalk, he said. But the real challenge is branding.
When Burke started to seriously entertain the idea last year he researched the best examples of historical tourism in the country. Boston and Philadelphia stood out, he said, for their branding. Philadelphia bills itself as the “Cradle of Liberty.” Boston has a similar brand message because of its Freedom Trail.
Providence can claim to be the birthplace of religious freedom. And that brand links to the Independence Trail because “everywhere you go on this trail you find Roger Williams,” he said.
But Burke wants to develop the brand further by promoting Providence as the location of the first blood spilled at the start of the American Revolution. Before the Boston Tea Party in 1773, there was the destruction of a British ship, the HMS Gaspee, and the shooting of Lt. William Dudingston by patriots in Providence on June 9, 1772.
“Boston has the better [public relations], but Providence has the better history,” Burke said. “Now, I’m going to make sure Providence has the better P.R.”
