|
 |
|
|
Eastern Upper Peninsula
Nature Tourism Alliance
Experiential tourists seek out new opportunities to enjoy soft adventure activities like camping, biking, hiking, wildlife watching, horseback riding, and canoeing in pristine natural areas. In fact, seventy-six percent of all U.S. travelers want to go someplace they have never been before, and of these, forty-eight percent prefer remote, untouched destinations. Fifty-seven percent of these travelers are attracted by an area’s culture and forty-four percent want to learn new skills or engage in a new activity. People come to an area to buy ‘good stories,’ so we have to sell them experiences that become fond memories – the makings of those stories.
---Ted Eubanks, Fermata, Inc.
The visionary effort to build nature-based tourism in the Eastern Upper Peninsula was started by the Les Cheneaux Economic Forum in 1998. When the Niagara escarpment of the eastern peninsula was designated by The Nature Conservancy as “one of the last great places on earth,” the Les Cheneaux Forum engaged the services of Fermata, Inc., specialists in developing nature tourism trails that respect the unique |
|
|
qualities of rural land, businesses, and community culture in stunning wilderness areas. As a result, the Eastern Upper Peninsula Tourism Alliance (EUPNTA) was formed~ a collective effort representing non-profit, government and business representatives from the 5 easternmost U.P. counties. Northern Initiatives has assisted the EUPNTA by providing the technical assistance needed to coordinate the region’s marketing efforts as they relate to the promotion of nature tourism. With support granted to the group from the USDA Rural Community Development Initiative, EUPNTA and Northern Initiatives developed 3 themed driving trails that highlight 33 waypoints and countless activities in the 5-county region~ The Great Waters- Natures Adventure Where Huron, Michigan & Superior Meet. |
|
© Tom Buchkoe |
|
|
The Great Waters is supported by trail guides, trail maps, map pads, locator signage, and informational posters. These promotional items have been placed in MDOT welcome centers, high-traffic tourism locations including waypoints on the trail and County Visitors Bureau offices. The Great Waters website was launched in 2004. The website features tour packages, information on natural attractions, culture and |
| amenities to attract experiential tourists and promote events that build awareness and business in the great waters region. An analysis of the website has shown almost 350,000 hits, 34% of which are return visitors. The partnership between Northern Initiatives and EUPNTA has created a remarkable tourism resource for the Upper Peninsula. Beyond just an increased awareness of tourism opportunities, Northern Initiatives views the Great Waters as an initiative that supports the economy and sustains the natural environment. |
|
Links to other relevant sites:
|
|
© Woods Water Ecotours, LLC. |
|
