On March 25, 2014, the Alabama Tourism Department and National Geographic unveiled a new four-state project; U.S. Gulf Coast States Geotourism.  Some 341 Alabama sites nominated by 121 Alabamians were part of the website on the initial launch.  They joined similar sites from Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida in the four-state coloration with National Geographic.

Geotourism encompasses a range of travel including culture and heritage, history, food, nature, the outdoors, water, music and arts.

If you would like to nominate an Alabama tourism event, attraction, B&B or historic inn that sustains or enhances the geographic character of an Alabama location, its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, or the well-being of its residents, you may once again do so as the nomination period has been reopened.

To nominate go to geotourism website  http://www.usgulfcoaststatesgeotourism.com and then click on ADD PLACES located in the green bar running across the website near the National Geographic logo.

You will be first asked to create your own sign-in.

Once you have signed in, if it ask if you want to plan a trip or add a nomination/place, click add nomination or place

Then start the nomination by first selecting the category. Then you can proceed to the nomination process which has 4 steps.

Step 1 – Enter text.  Here is where you describe your tourism site or event. You don’t have to fill in every box, just those that apply.
Step 2 – Enter media.  Here is where you upload photos.  Please upload at least 3 really good photos.  You may upload many more.  You can also upload a videos, if you have one.  Could be a simple video shot on your cell phone.
Step 3 – Contact information
Step 4 – Map.  It is easy to put your location on the map.  Pick Single location and then type in your address. More than likely the computer will already know your location.  You can zoom in on the map to make sure the program has located your real location.

FINALLY – Make sure that you find and change the STATUS from  INACTIVE To SUBMIT TO EDITOR.  If you don’t change to submit, the nomination will not process.