National Geographic announced that the “Tennessee River Valley” Geotourism website is now online at www.tennesseerivervalleygeotourism.org. The Geotourism MapGuide resides on National Geographic’s online site that averages 10 million viewers per month.
The new “Tennessee River Valley” Geotourism MapGuide website features the region in one of only 15 such projects in the world, and the only river region in the world to be featured.
From nominations recommended by local residents this past summer, over 600 unique historic sites, parks, museums, restaurants, scenic byways, and wildlife areas have been uploaded to the interactive website, and nominations remain open, keeping the website constantly updated with new places, people, and things to do in the greater Chattanooga corridor to Knoxville and the Smoky Mountains.
National Geographic started the Geotourism movement in 2002 with the concept of “tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place—its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and well-being of its residents.”
The Office of Sustainability and the Department of Education, Arts & Culture are collaborating on this project, which is grounded by a set of sustainable tourism principles, as part of a larger joint effort to educate and implement city-wide sustainability as outlined in the Chattanooga Climate Action Plan and STAR Community Index Goals—focusing on economic development, natural resources protection, social wellbeing, arts and culture.
Office of Sustainability Director David Crockett said, “As Chattanooga is gearing up for a regional long-range planning and visioning process, the National Geographic GeoTourism project is aligned with the Chattanooga region’s global leadership as one of the ‘Most Livable Cities’ and an ‘Intelligent Community of the Year.’ This is important in driving continued environmental and economic development for our area.”
EAC Administrator Missy Crutchfield said, “Now the whole country is watching Chattanooga as we create new opportunities economically, environmentally, and culturally. It is also a moment to help educate and implement ideas for making Chattanooga an environmental city and truly sustainable, and share this with cities across our country and around the world.”
The online MapGuide project is being facilitated by the Southeast Watershed Forum, a Tennessee-based nonprofit organization that has been helping communities with quality growth and sustainable development for over 12 years.
Principal project supporters to date include the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Tennessee Department of Transportation, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Chattanooga Convention and Visitor's Bureau, Knoxville Tourism and Sports Corporation and World Wildlife Fund's Southeastern Rivers and Streams program.
The National Geographic Society has worked with community-based alliances to develop similar Geotourism MapGuides in other regions around the world. Online Geotourism MapGuide projects have been completed or are ongoing in the Central Cascades (Oregon, Washington), the Crown of the Continent (Alberta, British Columbia, Montana), Greater Yellowstone (Idaho, Montana, Wyoming), Sierra Nevada (California, Nevada), Four Corners (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah), California's Redwood Coast, Lakes to Locks Passage (New York, Quebec), Guatemala, Newfoundland and Portugal's Douro Valley.
National Geographic Maps was established as a division of the National Geographic Society in 1915 and has been producing maps for National Geographic magazine and other Society groups for more than 95 years. National Geographic Maps publishes a vast collection of wall maps, travel maps, outdoor recreation maps, atlases and globes.
For more information about the City of Chattanooga Department of Education, Arts & Culture or the Chattanooga Southeast Tennessee Film Commission contact Melissa Turner at 423 425-7826 or turner_m@chattanooga.gov.