Ideas sought for '1,000 Great Places in Massachusetts'Date: 3/22/2010 March 22, 2010
By Katelyn Gendron
Reminder Assistant Editor
Travel writer and best-selling author Patricia Schultz revolutionized travelers' bucket lists when she published "1,000 Places to See Before You Die."
The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) is attempting to build on that idea and create a new list, highlighting 1,000 of the state's greatest places, according to Eric Turkington, chair of the Great Places in Massachusetts Commission.
"One thousand didn't seem too ambitious when we have 10 [sites] just within a half-mile of the State House," Turkington told Reminder Publications.
He added that it's important to feature great lesser-known places as well, which is why the commission has asked for help from the public. Each person may nominate one location online by April 1; the commission will announce the final 1,000 in May.
"We all have a special place that we cherish," Turkington said. "This is our chance to share our passion for Massachusetts places with our fellow residents, tourists and international visitors."
State Rep. Rosemary Sandlin, D-3rd Hampden, a member of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development, said the aim of the program is also to capitalize on the state's rich history and culture while boosting tourism dollars.
"Tourism is starting to become the leading industry across the state," she added.
Domestic and international travelers directly spent over $15.1 billion in Massachusetts during 2007, up 6.6 percent from 2006. Domestic traveler spending increased 6 percent while international traveler spending increased 11.1 percent, according to MOTT's last Economic Impact Study in 2007.
State Rep. Donald Humason Jr., R-4th Hampden, agreed with Sandlin's sentiments, adding he cast his vote for Stanley Park "because it brings so many people into our city and it's what people tend to remember about their time in Westfield."
"There are so many special historic sites, cultural landmarks and natural landscapes in Massachusetts," he said. "I encourage my constituents to tell their stories about what makes our favorite places great."
Nominations may be sent via www.massvacation.com/1000/index.php by April 1. The place must be open to the public and fall under one of the four designated categories: historic great places, cultural great places, natural great places or distinctive great places.
Historic places include buildings, monuments, neighborhoods or commercial centers. Examples of cultural sites are museums, galleries, theaters, schools or places of worship. Natural Great Places will feature the environment's natural and man-made landscapes, waterways or parks. Distinctive sites include those that don't fall under the three aforementioned categories but are aesthetically pleasing or engaging.
For more information about tourism in Massachusetts, visit www.massvacation.com.
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