CUMBERLAND — The city and seven other communities bordering the C&O Canal National Historical Park are working together to jointly market the canal as a single attraction through the Canal Towns Partnership, according to Barbara Buehl, Allegany County tourism director and Canal Towns Partnership representative.
The goal of the partnership, which was started in 2009, is to increase the amount of visitors, businesses and investments to the communities along the canal towpath.
“We realize more people are traveling the trails, whether it be the Great Allegheny Passage or the towpath, and their visits consist of more than just utilizing the path. We are more of a weekend getaway that can be enjoyed by the whole region,” said Buehl. “Rather than competing, we are working together to bring more complimentary events here. It’s always better to coordinate to work for a common goal.”
In 2010, nearly 4.25 million visitors came to the park and more than 100,000 traveled the entire length of the 184.5-mile towpath on either bike or foot, according to the CTP website.
“The Canal Towns Partnership hopes this new initiative will result in increased hiking and bicycling tourism along the C&O Canal towpath and increase visitors in our towns seeking goods, services and enjoying our great attractions and local heritage,” said Walt Stull, chair of CTP, in a news release.
The partnership is modeled after the Trail Town initiative along the Great Allegheny Passage.
“I know it worked out beautifully with the Great Allegheny Passage. One of the side benefits of a partnership is communication you have with other communities,” said Buehl. “We are the only place where the Great Allegheny Passage and the towpath come together.”
The partnership has developed interpretive kiosks located along the towpath to direct visitors to its communities and has created brochures for each town and worked closely with the National Park Service to improve signage along the towpath.
The partnership is governed by a board with two representatives from Cumberland, Hancock, Williamsport, Sharpsburg, Shepherdstown, Harpers Ferry-Bolivar, Brunswick and Point of Rocks. Bill Atkinson, regional planner for the Maryland Department of Planning, represents Cumberland in addition to Buehl.
The partnership receives technical assistance from the National Park Service through the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program, according to the website. C&O Canal Trust Inc., a nonprofit partner of the C&O Canal National Historical Park, is the acting fiscal agent for the Canal Towns Partnership.
The group holds regular monthly meetings that are open to the public, with the next meeting scheduled Friday at 10 a.m. at Ferry Hill Place, 16500 Shepherdstown Pike, Sharpsburg.
For more information, visit the new website at www.canaltowns.org.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.
Local News
Partnership works to jointly market C&O Canal
City, seven other towns join forces
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