North Carolina may be reeling in a whole new 

 catch from the Intracoastal Waterway if the newly 

 formed Coastal Waters Heritage Tourism Council has 

 its way. 



The council plans to capture the shoals of boaters 

 who normally bypass North Carolina coastal towns as 

 they paddle, motor and cruise the waterway. One bait 

 being cast are water trails that lead to historic and 

 cultural sites in towns such as Edenton and New 

 Bern. Another under consideration is simply an offer 



of more amenities for boaters, such as slips or parking 

 spots where they can hook up to utilities. 



Boating tourism is an undertapped market in 

 North Carolina, says David Little, state director of 

 tourism development. The council, an independent 

 nonprofit corporation, was formed more than two 

 years ago to prepare a regional plan for water-based 

 tourism. Intercepting boaters on the Intracoastal 

 Waterway seemed an obvious way to garner income 

 ^ the state. Continued 



