Start your engine, press play and experience the wonder
Nothing brings history to life quite like a guided tour. In an effort to enhance the visitor experience in the region, the Alton Regional CVB has released a new driving tour of the Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway that will be available on both CD and as a downloadable podcast at the new byway website, http://www.greatriversbyway.com/ The completion of the project could not come at a better time with the recent recognition of the byway as one of the Seven Wonders of Illinois.
Following the recent wave of new technology trends, the Alton Regional CVB researched podcasting as a marketing tool in their strategies to attract and enhance the visitor experience in the region. “Many young couples and families expect technology to be a part of their getaway experience,” said Brett Stawar, president of the Alton Regional CVB. “Podcasting is a way that we can more fully tell the stories associated with our communities and history. Now, the byway literally comes to life for the visitor.”
The staff at the CVB has been working since January to research and write the scripts for the thirteen track driving tour. The finished project features a narrated history of the byway communities, which include: Hartford, Wood River, Alton, Godfrey, Elsah and Grafton. Significant attractions within each community are highlighted on the tracks, such as, Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in Hartford, National Great Rivers Museum in Alton and the Wood River History Museum. Other tracks offer interpretation dedicated to some of the more popular attractions on the byway – Lovejoy Monument, Robert Wadlow, Lincoln and Douglas Square, Alton Prison, Piasa Bird and Pere Marquette State Park.
The driving tour will be available as a downloadable podcast on the new byway website at http://www.greatriversbyway.com,/ which is set to launch on Saturday, June 16. For visitors without an MP3 player, a limited number of ipods will be available for loan at the Alton Visitors Center. The CVB will also provide CDs of the driving tour for visitors that would like to listen to the tour on the CD player in their vehicle.
For more information about the byway or the new podcast driving tour, please contact the Alton Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-258-6645 or go to http://www.visitalton.com/
Courtesy of grouptravelblog.com
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