The Cranberry Region Visitor Center at the State Highway rest area on Interstate 195 is having another successful year of promoting Wareham, Onset, and the surrounding area to tourists seeking directions and information.

Here's some information about this season:

• The Center has served approximately 25,000 families
• The Center has directed more than 5,000 families to local attractions, restaurants, and accommodations, thus stimulating nearly $1 million into local business revenue
• The Center has registered tourists from 48 states and 40 foreign countries
• Most American tourists were traveling from the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island and New Jersey.
• Visitors from the states is up nearly 20% over last year.
• Tourists visiting from foreign lands included: Germany, Canada, United Kingdom, and Italy.
• More than 1,000 families from foreign countries have utilized the Center's service. (This is down more than 25-percent from previous years, reflecting Europe's economy and the currency exchange rate.)
• The number of families referred to Wareham, Cranberry Highway and Onset has increased significantly this summer. Many sought to avoid Cape traffic and desired to utilize nearby attractions (beaches, Water Wizz) at off-Cape prices (from gasoline to restaurants).
• Local events, such as the Swan Festival, Blues Festival, Cape Verdean Festival, and Makepeace Harvest Festival, are major draws to the local area.
• With a grant from the Community Events Committee, the Center was able to freely promote many local non-profit group events -- from the July 4 fireworks to church fairs.
• September has increasingly become a popular time for visits to the area, especially amongst the retired couples. The Center remains open 7-days-a- week to meet their inquiries, which increasingly center around tours (i.e. Cranberry Harvest) and sites (National Seashore).

The Center has seen more than 100,000 total visitors who not only utilize the information service, but also the picnic area, vending machines, boat ramp, rest stop and sanitary accommodations.

The Center is a self-sustaining project of the Wareham Community and Economic Development Authority (CEDA). Originally constructed by the Cranberry Highway Association, CEDA has operated the center for the past five years at no cost to local taxpayers.

A staff of part-time employees answer a wide range of questions, from traffic reports, to information about food/accommodations to "how much are the tolls on the bridges across the canal?"

For more information about the Center, contact CEDA in the Multi-service building on Marion Road, or visit the 195 Center, which is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.