NARROWSBURG, NY — A year ago James Dion wasn’t sure exactly where the Delaware River was. He didn’t know that it’s the last major undammed river in the Northeast. And he certainly had no idea of the beauty, history and culture of its upper region. That says a lot about one of America’s best-kept secrets. As director of tourism programs for National Geographic Maps, Dion is no slouch when it comes to geography.

Today, Dion is one of the world’s foremost experts on the river from the head of the river’s main stem in Hancock to the Delaware Water Gap Recreational Area in Portland, PA. Having spent the last nine months working in collaboration with the Geotourism Stewardship Council (GSC) to produce a world-class National Geographic geotourism website, his knowledge of the river and its region comes from the people who live there.

The GSC, an umbrella organization of travel and tourism industry professionals, community leaders, cultural, art and historical organizations and federal, state and local land managers—the National Park Service chief among them—was formed in September 2015. About 100 people were present at the Narrowsburg Union on May 5 for a preview of the interactive, customizable website MapGuide (delawareriver.natgeotourism.com) produced by GSC and National Geographic (NatGeo). Although the site will not be officially unveiled until a May 19 media event in New York City, it is live now and can be accessed by the public at the above web address.

“We parachuted in writers and photographers, but the bulk of the content was provided by local folks, who have so far nominated more than 600 landmarks, natural resources, activities, events and lodging and dining venues for inclusion on the site,” said Dion, emphasizing that the nomination process will be ongoing for the life of the site. Adding that any visitor to the site may submit a nomination, he noted that this is not a wiki. All submissions are thoroughly vetted for accuracy and edited for completeness and clarity before being placed on the site.

One of only about 20 NatGeo MapGuides, the site is virtually guaranteed to focus worldwide attention on the Upper Delaware Region—which it terms the “Scenic, Wild Delaware River”—including the river valley as well as venues within a 30-minute drive from either river bank. Dion said that the MapGuide project is testament to the power of mutual cooperation, encompassing nine counties in three states (Sullivan, Delaware and Orange in NY; Wayne, Pike, Monroe and Northampton in PA; Sussex and Warren in NJ) and three units of the National Park system (Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and the Middle Delaware Scenic and Recreational River).

The MapGuide is aimed specifically at geotourists, so Dion took a few minutes to describe the difference between a tourist and a geotourist. That difference is in the relationship each has with destination. A tourist typically visits a destination once, content with bragging rights. A geotourist is a discerning traveler who basks in the character of a destination, returns to it often, recruits other discerning travelers to it and sometimes even makes it his home.

The question, said Dion, is whether we can keep the promise we make when we invite the world to our doorstep.