About Us

ConnectVermont is responsible for a suite of inter-related software applications on top of a single, consolidated database to support travelers and travel destinations in Vermont. 

The program fosters dialogue and non-traditional collaborations among Vermont state agencies.  ConnectVermont is composed of partnering organizations with a colorful range of diverse missions -  serving arts & humanities, public safety, natural resources, and economic development issues in Vermont.  What our partners have in common is the need to offer meaningful and accessible travel information to the public.  ConnectVermont provides a forum for creative ideas in the development of technologies to support Vermont travelers.

The program began in 1999 as a project called the Cross Marketing Database (CMDB), and consisted of two web sites: www.ThinkVermont.com and  www.VermontVacation.com.  The CMDB was originally envisioned as a database of Vermont business information, to provide businesses with networking opportunities, and consumers with information about products and services produced in Vermont. 

To enhance support for travelers and businesses in Vermont, fields were added to the database for tourism-related services such as lodging, dining, attractions, and events, and the new application was called the The Vermont Travel Planner (VTP).   The CMDB project was officially renamed the ConnectVermont Program in 2000.

ConnectVermont is funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) via a project called the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), with matching funds provided by state agency partners.

 

The breadth of scope of ITS funding has helped us expand the original concept of ConnectVermont to include such elements as interactive travel information kiosks and dynamic wayfinding, in a comprehensive database that is shared and offered for public use by multiple state partners.  

The ConnectVermont program has also become closely associated with a regional ITS partnership with New Hampshire and Maine called the Tri-State (Trio) Project, as well as the I-95 Corridor Coalition.

These partnerships create the possibility of integrating exciting new elements into ConnectVermont on a regional basis for the tri-state area, such as real-time traffic information, weather forecasting, and national 511 traveler information phone service.