Get Involved: Heritage Tourism
Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor is a world class tourism destination. Working with a wide range of partners, we aim to make more strategic use of the region’s heritage resources in order to fill gaps and increase the reach and effectiveness of existing tourism development and marketing efforts.
 
Current Projects

	Events We sponsor statewide and community based canal-related events each year to promote and celebrate the history, beauty, and recreational appeal of the Corridor. Events include: Path Through History Weekends (June), Cycling the Erie Canal (July), and Canal Splash! (August). more >
	Underground Railroad Network to Freedom New York's canals served as critical pathways for freedom seekers in the 1800s. This joint tourism initiative highlights historic sites, museums, and tours that tell the story of the Underground Railroad (UGRR). more >
	Passport to Your National Park Visitors can record their experiences at designated cultural heritage sites throughout the Erie Canalway with free stamps collected in a special spiral-bound National Park Service Passport. more >
	Cultural Heritage Tourism Workshops Watch for workshops in the fall of 2013! Tourism expert Cheryl Hargrove presented three workshops in 2011 to help heritage sites collaborate more, increase visitation, and take advantage of marketing opportunities.   Cultural Heritage Tourism Overview [PDF] >   Cultural Heritage Tourism Marketing [PDF] >
	Tourism Promotion Strategic partnerships forged among tourism promotion agencies and canal-related organizations enable us to more effectively market the Canalway Corridor to international and national audiences. Each year, we co-host "familiarization tours" with travel operators, attend international travel shows, offer workshops for tourism professionals, and distribute travel guides.
	Amtrak and National Park Service Trails and Rails Program NPS Ranger-guided interpretive talks are offered on weekends on Amtrak trains traveling through the Corridor. more>
	Champlain Canalway Trail Project The Champlain Canalway Trail Working Group completed a Champlain Canalway Trail Action Plan in 2011. The Working Group is a volunteer, ad hoc partnership that includes local and regional canal and trail groups, public agencies, and park and preservation organizations, including the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. read the plan >
Past Projects
	2009 Quadricentenial Legacy Tour of the Day Peckinpaugh The historic canal motor ship Day Peckinpaugh traveled the Hudson-Champlain Corridor for the 2009 Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial. The vessel welcomed 8,000 visitors at ports from Burlington, Vt, to New York City. more >
	Educational Travel Guide A guide to the canals of New York combines educational information with tourism resources targeted to adult learners, as well as primary and secondary schools, and travel planners. visit site >>
	2007 Lois McClure Grand Canal Journey More than 30,000 people from 40 states and 10 countries toured the 1862 replica canal schooner Lois McClure during the summer of 2007, as part of our grand celebration of the National Heritage Corridor. more >
	PBS Film on New York's Canals Erie Canalway collaborated with PBS station WCNY-TV on the production of a one-hour travel documentary on New York's canals, which aired in 2007.