Save The Bay was honored today with the 2008 R.I. Tourism Achievement Award, in recognition of its decades of unwavering commitment to protecting, restoring and advocating for Narragansett Bay and its watershed.

The presentation, by Gov. Donald L. Carcieri and R.I. State Tourism Director David C. DePetrillo, was part of the Ocean State’s 23rd Annual Tourism Unity Luncheon.

“Tourism is an important part of our state’s economic engine, and we owe our gratitude to Save The Bay for protecting and enhancing a significant part of that: our Bay,” Carcieri told the gathering of about 400 people from the local hospitality and tourism industry, which employs nearly 60,000 people statewide.

“Overall, the industry pumps more than $5 billion into the local economy each year,” he said. “And in 2007 we had a projected 2-percent increase in tourism growth over the previous year.” (READ MORE)

Accepting for Save The Bay was Curt Spalding, the nonprofit’s executive director, who in February announced plans to leave the group he has led for the past 20 years. (READ MORE)

“Save The Bay’s board, staff and members are deeply honored and extremely pleased to be recognized by this award,” Spalding said.

“A clean and healthy Bay – and watershed – is vital to our economy,” he continued. “It is a tourist attraction because it is beautiful, but also because visitors to this state get a strong sense of how hard people living here work to protect our greatest natural resource. In that way, the Bay speaks for itself and it speaks for the total experience of visiting such a special place.”

Besides the Tourism Achievement Award, the state also presented several Regional Tourism Awards, to coffee-syrup maker Autocrat Inc. in Lincoln, the Block Island Historical Society, Coggeshall Farm in Bristol, the Newport Gulls baseball organization, the Federal Hill section of Providence, Aunt Carrie’s restaurant in Narragansett and Warwick-based Gregg’s Restaurants & Pubs.

“Each of the 2008 Regional Tourism Award winners are perfect examples of geotourism,” DePetrillo said. “They make our state more memorable and they add to the quality of life that we enjoy as residents of this state.”

The luncheon also featured the unveiling of a geotourism video compilation, spotlighting Rhode Island’s cultural, historical, culinary and eco-tourism attractions.

The footage – which DePetrillo described as featuring “the candid experiences of real people, not actors or actresses, as they explore every corner of Rhode Island” – will be used to prepare a series of “vodcasts” for viewing on the Web site of the state Tourism Division (www.VisitRhodeIsland.com) and on free video sites including YouTube.com and video.Google.com.

“The growing popularity of videos on the Internet provides us an opportunity to showcase Rhode Island to millions of out-of-state and international tourists, especially those who have never visited the Ocean State,” the state tourism director added. “This should also prove useful to Rhode Islanders who plan to vacation closer to home because of the increasing price of gas, plane tickets, currency fluctuation and other expenses.”

The first of the vodcasts is slated for release Saturday, May 25, he said. A complete schedule soon will be posted at the Tourism Division site.

“From our beaches to our historic and cultural sites, from our parks and open spaces to our nationally renowned restaurants,” Carcieri told the luncheon, “Rhode Island is a premier destination.”

Save The Bay, founded in 1970, is a nonprofit education and advocacy organization, dedicated to improving our state’s our economy, environment and quality of life by protecting, restoring and exploring the Narragansett Bay and its watershed. To learn more, visit www.SaveBay.org.

Additional information about the R.I. Tourism Division, the local tourism industry and upcoming activities and events in the Ocean State is available atwww.VisitRhodeIsland.com.