What happens when you combine a room full of very smart people interested in the natural and historic resources of the Hudson River Valley with a dynamite Web development team? A knock your socks off Heritage Tourism website!

The Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area (HRVNHA), directed by our own native Trojan Carmella Mantello, and the NYC Web development team
JasperDesign, are about to launch a new heritage tourism website on April
29. The entire world will finally get a taste of what we already know - that there isn't another valley like the Hudson in the world.

HRVNHA's mission is to "recognize, preserve, protect, and interpret the nationally significant cultural and natural resources of the Hudson River Valley for the benefit of the nation." The website will fit the bill nicely - it features about 80 of the most important heritage sites in the valley. However, it goes beyond being a nice website. You can search by categories such as "absolutely must see (19 sites listed)," "Highly Recommended (20 sites)," and "Special Interest (39 sites)." You can also find a site by region (upper, middle, and lower Hudson Valley) or by a particular theme (colonial period, political issues, etc.).

Each of the heritage sites contain a brief description, photograph, local driving directions, and a link to the website, if one exists. There is an extensive section on how to get to these destinations by air, rail, and bus.

You can print out pre-designed itineraries on themes such as American Revolution campaigns to the Appalachian Trail (the banner graphics change seasonally which is very cool). Each site contains a map with directions, as well as local dining and lodging facilities, phone, admission fees, and opening/closing dates. A search engine lets you type in any term, e.g., the word "Troy" gives you the Burden Iron Works Museum and Hart-Cluett House. Links to various partner organizations like the Hudson River Valley
Institute, National Park Service, Hudson Valley Tourism, NYS Parks & Recreation, and Historic Hudson Valley are there too.

Does it list every great site in the Hudson Valley? Not yet. However, the advantage of a website is flexibility and the ability to expand as needed. In the coming months, more information will be added.

Launching of the website couldn't be any timelier as well. A recent study by the Marist College Bureau of Economic Research on heritage tourism in the Hudson Valley found some interesting statistics. Those individuals visiting the Hudson Valley have higher incomes ($91,049), more education (75% with college degrees), and an average age of 46 - higher than the national average. However, they tend to be from the Northeast. Certainly, and more importantly, economically at least, that means there are millions who are not familiar with the Hudson Valley. This website will now educate those millions and show them how to get here and spend their money. The Marist study also revealed that the existing visitor base spends an average of $237 per party. Heritage visitors spend an average of $474 if they stay overnight. It's estimated that 2.5 million visitors explored a historic site in our valley last year, contributing roughly $600 to 900 million dollars for total economic impact.

This impressive set of facts has not gone unnoticed in the political arena either. I asked Senator Hillary Clinton and Governor Pataki for their impressions.

Senator Clinton stated: "The Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area represents a unique opportunity to celebrate New York and America's glorious past, but it is also an opportunity to bring visitors to New York as they learn about our history and our heritage. And there is so much of our heritage here - revolutionary war sites, one of America's great military institutions - West Point - and the homes of some of our greatest painters and inventors. This website will bring all of these rich resources to the attention of the state, the country, and the world and am I proud to do everything I can to help with this tremendous effort."

Likewise, Governor Pataki added: "The launch of the Hudson River Valley
National Heritage Area website is a significant step in our effort to promote the Hudson Valley as a national and international tourist destination. It is imperative that we continue the momentum on the local, state, and national level to help tell the story of the Valley's role in the development of our Nation. New York State government and the Greenway look forward to continuing the partnership with our Hudson Valley partners to spread the message about our world-class assets and help communities reap the economic rewards that will result."

On April 29, go to www.hudsonrivervalley.com. P.S. Tell the world.