About the Council
What We Do
Current Projects
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Timeline
Administration & Operations
Administer the day-to-day management of the tourism council office functions including accounting, purchasing and contracts.
Visitor Information Services
Manage the Blackstone Valley
and Lincoln Visitor Centers,
providing information resources, brochures and destination routing for
travelers and visitors on events, attractions, interests, activities and respond to telephone and mail inquiries. Information distribution services are also provided to the region's visitor centers and destinations.
Program Development & Special Events
Work with multi-level partnerships to assist in developing and marketing tourism products and creating special events that include scheduling seasonal
train tours of the Blackstone River Valley and
to assist in several statewide, regional and local events.
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Annual or ongoing events:
including public river tours
on the Explorer, bicycle
tours, the annual Rhode
Island Dragon Boat Races and
Taiwan Day Festival, weekly
restaurant tours, theme
related “backyard” and “no
place like home” tours, the
annual Cherry Tree Festival,
annual golf tournament,
paddling tours, Polar
Express and other train
tours, river and
environmental cleanup
events.
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Planning and development
projects: including
various waterfront
development projects, Broad
Street Regeneration
Initiative, Blackstone
Valley Bikeway and
connection to other state
bike paths, the Rhode Island
Music Hall of Fame, Keep
Blackstone Valley Beautiful
environmental cleanup
programs, the Amber Valley
International Compact, the
development and promotion of
paddling routes on the
Blackstone River, and the
soon to be developed
Chocolate Overlook Park,
commemorating chocolate
manufacturing in the Valley.
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Educational, information and
promotion projects:
including Riverclassroom
(river education for
students aboard the
Explorer), resource
directories
for artists,
restaurants, Valley
attractions, events
and others, a Sustainable
Tourism Lab to educate the
world about sustainable
tourism, and education
programs for students to
learn about tourism.
Affairs & Communications
Work with local and regional media outlets to promote
and publicize regional events and work with federal state, local and private sector officials on matters relating to tourism development in the region. Responsible for
intergovernmental and public relations. Prepare quarterly Blackstone
Valley Visitor Guide and Calendar of Events.
Group & Travel & Tourism
Serve the needs of group travelers and visitors through extensive outreach and planning, and work with visitors to schedule and arrange itineraries relating to various aspects of the Blackstone River Valley. Work with group tour developers, corporate tour leaders, educational and senior citizen tour planners and motor coach operators in offering customized tour packages.
River Programs
Own and operate the Blackstone Valley Explorer, a Coast Guard certified
49 -passenger river vessel offering seasonal American Heritage River Tours of the Blackstone River. Launched in 1993, the Blackstone Valley Explorer serves as the only Blackstone River tour boat offering visitors interpretive historic, cultural, environmental and recreational tours from landings in Central Falls and Woonsocket.
Educational Programs
Offer a “RiverClassroom" program aboard the Blackstone
Valley Explorer utilizing the boat as a laboratory both in Central Falls and Woonsocket for students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 presenting environmental
and cultural programs, historic interpretation on the heritage, development and social aspects of the Blackstone River Valley.
This program also provides historical and environmental walking tours.
Offer the in-school “River In The Classroom” program as well as environmental and historical walking tours for students of all ages.
Current Projects
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Timeline
