Scenic Byways Interpretive Project Takes on New Dimension

June 13, 2007

Scenic Byways Interpretive Project Takes on New Dimension
June 13, 2007 –NTA has been working with the National Park Service and the American Recreation Coalition to create a guide for travelers on scenic byways in the Washington, D.C., area. Originally, the project was geared at providing only audio interpretation via MP3 files, but the updated plan includes full video interpretive messages. Once completed, the files will be available for download from Apple’s iTunes Web site.

"The program will establish a creative electronic educational tool for the packaged travel industry," said NTA Legislative Counsel Jim Santini. "I believe these video and audio guides will explode just like our nation’s scenic byways program has, thanks to tour operators who continually include the scenic routes as a component of their tour packages."

The subjects of the 12-15 segments will be two Washington, D.C., area byways – the George Washington Memorial Parkway and the C & O Canal. Many of the segments will be two to four minutes long, while a couple of the pieces will be more extensive (10-15 minutes). They will be produced in both English and Spanish and are expected to be available by early fall.

The current project is another in a long line of collaborations between NTA, the National Park Service and the American Recreation Coalition. The groups pioneered the American Scenic Byways concept and since their first meeting in 1986, 126 roads have received the scenic byway designation.