The Katahdin Tourism Partnership grew out of planning for the Katahdin Woods & Waters Scenic Byway, a project of the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT). The process also revealed the need for a multi-sector network of organizations to oversee implementation of the Scenic Byway as and support sustainable tourism development for the area as a whole. In February 2012, the planning group tr
ansformed itself into the Katahdin Tourism Partnership (KTP), a network comprised of a steering committee and a broader stakeholder membership focusing attention on business and product development, marketing, and infrastructure investment that will lead to a strengthened local economy through outdoor recreation and nature-based tourism. The Upper Valley Economic Corporation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that serves as the KTP’s fiscal agent. Following the development of the Katahdin Woods & Waters Corridor Partnership Plan in 2012, the KTP designated three strategic areas as priorities: tourism business and product development, marketing and market research, and Byway-centric infrastructure development. Since then, programs and projects have included hosting an Outdoor Recreation Planning Charrette, sponsoring Maine Woods Tourism Training workshops, conducting annual visitor surveys, publishing the Katahdin Woods & Waters Scenic Byway Visitor Brochure, coordinating a multi-town road repair request of the MaineDOT, organizing a Trails & Recreational Access Conference, and ongoing oversight of Scenic Byway infrastructure development. The KTP has sought to gain broad-based consensus about the best ways to address opportunities and encourage innovation in new tourism product development while being mindful of the need for resource conservation and enhancement as a key to future regional economic prosperity. New working relationships crossing conventional sector lines have emerged with the recognition that high quality visitor experiences are comprised of and dependent on the right functioning of a variety of elements: healthy natural systems, vibrant community culture, and high quality visitor services.
