Greenways, 'Vision' for Grand Bahama and Educational Tourism

You never know what you are going to learn whether listening to the show or hosting the show! Curious about the East Coast Greenway project, we were thrilled that East Coast Greenway Alliance Executive Director Dennis Markatos-Soriano was able to appear as a guest, and did we learn a lot!

Stretching nearly 3,000 miles from the Canadian border to Key West, Florida, the East Coast Greenway has been in development for nearly 20 years and is still going strong. Interestingly, but not surprisingly, Florida will contain the longest stretch when the project is fully completed. 

Proponents of the project have validated the Greenway’s economic contributions to tourism and have witnessed its popularity in the areas where the Greenway has been completed. Treasure Coast community and political leaders have been very supportive in assuring that this “urban Appalachian Trail” is a part of the Treasure Coast community’s fabric.

After "trail" talk, discussion moved on over to the Islands of The Bahamas. Understandably, airlift to an island destination is critical to its tourism product. An island does not live by the cruise industry alone! Call in guest, Bill Maloney, the director of business development for Vision Airlines, had a treasure chest of information about Vision Airline's new scheduled service to Freeport, Grand Bahama. 

It has been some time since such airlift was available to Grand Bahama from key U.S. market hubs. Vision Airline's introductory rates are fantastic and Bill promised that the carrier would provide the best rates and packages available. Such an effort could not have been accomplished without the support and assistance of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. This is terrific news for Grand Bahamians and those wishing to visit this Treasure Coast island neighbor.

Moving on to St. Lucie County, the County's “discovery” of education tourism became the focus. If you missed the discussion, be sure to listen to Talkin' Tourism's Greenways, 'Vision' for Grand Bahama and Educational Tourism show, and find out what it takes to “cash in” on this niche tourism market.

Thanks for tuning in. Join us again on Friday for another fun and informative show—this one live from the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show!

Greenways, Educational Tourism, and Vision for Grand Bahama

Thanks to a head's up from the Martin County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Talkin’ Tourism learned leaders of the East Coast Greenway Alliance were planning to meet in Stuart this coming weekend on Saturday October 22. Not wanting to miss a great opportunity to inform our listeners about this project and its significant importance, we immediately invited an alliance spokesperson to appear on our show. With a quick call to East Coast Greenway Alliance member and friend of Martin County, Herb Hiller, the dots were connected and we are pleased to announce that Dennis Markatos-Soriano, East Coast Greenway Alliance executive director, will be our in-studio special guest this week. For those of you who might not know, the East Coast Greenway is the longest planned off-road, paved American trail that will connect 14 states between Calais, Maine and Key West, Florida. The Treasure Coast certainly does have a role in this unique project. More than 30 miles of the finished trail now partially link the Treasure Coast south from Sebastian Inlet of Jupiter. This will be a very informative conversation and most importantly, we'll explore how this may impact Treasure Coast tourism.

We have discussed the many facets of tourism on the show and one that has surfaced occasionally is educational tourism. Recently, tourism leaders in St. Lucie County have awakened to this potential source of visitors and their impact. We’ll discuss what St. Lucie County has discovered that perhaps has more impact than what most people may think.

The economy has certainly affected tourism numbers around the globe. The Islands of the Bahamas, a destination where tourism is the number industry, has been really feeling the impact of a slowed global economy in a large way. A new "player" is about to change that for our Treasure Coast neighbor, Grand Bahama Island. During the second half of the show, guest Bill Maloney, Director of Business Development for Vision Airlines will be calling in to share with us what Vision Airlines has in store regarding airlift service to Grand Bahama Island from a number of U.S. hubs and how they plan to make a huge difference in improving tourism numbers on Grand Bahama.

Join us again this week for another informative and fun show as Gary and Robin once again are Talkin’ Tourism!