The Kentucky Artisan Heritage Trails (KAHT), based at Eastern Kentucky University, is working behind the scenes on a unique and significant geo-tourism project with the National Geographic Society to promote the “undiscovered treasures” of Appalachia.

A foldout map in the April issue of National Geographic Traveler will feature 30 tourist sites in the Appalachian Region of eastern Kentucky and Cave Country of south central Kentucky. The sites also will be featured as part of an interactive map at www.nationalgeographic.com.

KAHT’s role in the project has consisted of creating a gateway portal to access photographs and information about each selected site via the Internet. Each site was mapped using Geographic Positioning Satellite (GPS) equipment and Geographic Information Software (GIS). Tourist information was gathered and placed on the KAHT web site with links from National Geographic’s web site to access relevant facts and images of each site.

“We are extremely honored to work with National Geographic and the ARC on such a unique project,” said KAHT Program Manager Chris Cathers. “It is a great opportunity for us to showcase the talent and beauty of our Appalachian heritage to such a highly respected publication. This is a true validation of our efforts to improve upon the cultural resources that attract tourists to Eastern Kentucky.”

The Kentucky sites range from tourists attractions such as Mammoth Cave National Park and the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea to festivals, scenic byways, restaurants, craft shops and historic sites. The Kentucky Department of Tourism along with the help of local tourism commissions, area development districts, Southern Kentucky Tourism Development Association, Eastern Kentucky Tourism Development Association and EKU identified and recommended potential Kentucky sites. National Geographic made the final selections and, in all, 356 sites are listed across the 13-state Appalachian region.