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Geotourism and the Great Lakes Circle Tour: Next Step
The Great Lakes Commission and
Great Lakes Sea Grant Network
Proceedings
10 a.m. to noon, EDT, Friday, September 30, 2005
Great Lakes Commission
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Notice will be sent of date and time for next conference call.
Resolution: Support for Re-energizing the Great Lakes Circle Tour
For more information:
GLC Contact: Dave Knight, 734-971-9135, dknight@glc.org
Sea Grant Contact: Mike Klepinger, 517-353-5508, klep@msu.edu
Participants
- In Ann Arbor: Dave Knight, Christine Manninen, Kevin Yam and Becky Lameka (GLC); and Mike Klepinger, (GL Sea Grant Network-MI)
- By phone: Mark Breederland (GLSGN-MI), Marie Zhuikov (GLSGN-MN), Victoria Harris, (GLSGN-WI), Dave Hart (GLSGN-WI), Frank Lichtkoppler (GLSGN-OH), Teresa Michell, (Seaway Trail-NY), Dave Skellie (GLSGN-PA), Paul Staley (ODOT), Dave White (GLSGN-NY)
Discussion on a proposed open meeting
- Dave K. and Mike K. briefly reviewed the discussion of the initial Geotourism/GLCT meeting and the consensus reached at that meeting to move ahead with plans for a major meeting event focusing on re-energization of the Great Lakes Circle Tour using geotourism concepts.
Objectives and desired outcomes
- Building connectivity among designated scenic byways in the region, including the contiguous segments in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, and routes in Michigan and Minnesota. Teresa M. reported that there will be a meeting before Thanksgiving of the scenic byway organizations which could better identify potential linkages between the byways and the Circle Tour.
- Catalyzing and bringing new energy to the original Circle Tour initiative, without creating new, unnecessary bureaucracies, and duplicating original activities such as road signage. New focus will be on contemporary technologies and resources such as interactive websites and improved mapping capabilities.
- Developing a work plan with a well-defined life span (a beginning, middle and end), perhaps in the range of a five-year project.
- Accessing, and perhaps generating, economic modeling data to better characterize the value of protecting the coastal resource.
- Marshalling the support of the coastal zone management community.
- Contributing to travel and market data bases for the Great Lakes states and provinces.
- Further exploring the concept of branding the Great Lakes.
Who should be invited?
- State scenic byway coordinators
- Sea Grant personnel
- Coastal zone managers
- State/provincial tourism and travel bureau specialists
- National Park Service and Marine Sanctuary personnel
- Tourism industry representation – private sector
- Tribal/First Nation interests
- Council of Great Lakes Governors staff
- National Wildlife Refuge staff
Format and agenda
- Consensus of the group was that the meeting should be open, though concerted outreach be made to target groups, such as above.
- Length should be one day, perhaps from noon to noon to accommodate travel.
- Session should be kicked off with a thorough introduction reviewing the background and history of the Circle Tour.
- Content should include both thematic and functional components.
- A mix of plenary and breakout sessions should be explored, some needing facilitation.
- Teleconferencing capability should be included.
Date and location
- Date to be sometime in February, 2006.
- No consensus on location; further research to be conducted on sites in Ann Arbor, Chicago (perhaps Shedd Aquarium) and Cleveland.
Funding support
- Meeting costs to be largely recovered from registration fees.
- Longer term strategies include potential support from major hotel and gas station chains in the region.
Updates on related issues
- Great Lakes Commission resolution passed at Sept. 29 annual meeting, supporting re-energization of Great Lakes Circle Tour (posted on website).
- Great Lakes Sea Grant Network meeting in December.
September 30, 2005 Geotourism Meeting Agenda
August 5, 2005 Geotourism Meeting Agenda
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