Tourism Corridor Planning

Communities can entice tourists to visit an area (as well as enhance the quality of life of residents) by planning regional tourist attractions, such as trails, scenic roads, waterways, promenades and open space corridors that connect historical sites, natural areas, waterfronts, downtowns, and other tourist attractions.

In order to effectively plan regional corridors, local governments need to formulate joint plans, since most significant corridors cross municipal boundaries. An example of a local tourism corridor planning effort is the Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway, which is being implemented by a public-private partnership involving Cayuga, Seneca and Tompkins Counties. The Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway received official designation from by the State of New York due to the efforts of representatives from all three counties.

Tourism corridor planning often involves addressing signage issues, as signs often make the first impression on a visitor to a community. Good signage is important to tourism development in that well-designed signs can attract tourists and help them find their way to area attractions and amenities. Signs can also be used to create "trails" linking tourist attractions, such as wineries or local artists. A local example of such a trail is the Greater Ithaca Art Trail. Currently, the Tompkins County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Strategic Tourism Planning Board are working to identify signage needs to enhance tourism in the County.