The best travel advice comes from the people that live there.

Letchworth Gateway Villages and its partners are working with local organizations, businesses and residents to map the best travel experiences, stories and sites in the Genesee Valley Region. Through this project we aim to promote travel that celebrates and sustains what is most distinctive about the Genesee Valley through the voices and the stories of the people that live here.

creating a living guide to the region

The Geotourism Map Guide Program was created by National Geographic in 2002 as a tool to help communities work together to create a shared identity and market their destination in a way that promotes sustainable development. Through crowd-sourcing points of interest from locals the Map Guide Project helps identify, develop, and authentically communicate the Genesee Valley's unique story of place - its brand identity. The resulting product is an interactive digital platform that functions as a living guide to the region, helping connect travelers with the many attractions, businesses and activities through the voices of the people that live there.

promoting sustainable rural development

The ultimate goal of the Geotourism Map Guide Project is to promote economic stability for the communities within the region and to foster a shared identity that encourages collaboration, inspires stewardship and improves residents’ quality of life.

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WHAT IS GEOTOURISM?

Geotourism is a sustainable destination and content marketing program designed to support the natural resource assets, cultural attractions and historically important places that make a region a unique and vibrant tourism destination.

Learn More →

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MEET our EXPERTS

Leading LGV's Geotourism Program are sustainable tourism experts Jim Dion, founder and principal of Destination Solutions, LLC and Michele Archie Geotourism Lead at Harbinger Consultancy. 

View their Bios →

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get on the map! 

Are you a business, attraction or local area enthusiast interested in sharing what you love about our region?

If so, sign up here and start mapping the places and experiences you feel capture our region’s unique character, heritage, and beauty!

Read the Guidelines →


join us

Are you a municipality surrounding Letchworth State Park interested in getting involved in the Genesee Valley Map Guide project? If so, sign in below and we will get in touch with you on next steps.