Cultural/Heritage Tourism: Opportunity, Impact, and Implications

What is cultural/heritage tourism?

Cultural/heritage tourism is based on the mosaic of places, traditions, art forms, celebrations and experiences that portray the diversity and character of a community, a region, or a nation. Travelers who engaged in cultural heritage tourism activities visit:

• historic sites 
• museums and art galleries 
• theater and performing arts venues 
• cultural events, festivals and fairs 
• ethnic communities and neighborhoods 
• architectural and archaeological sites 
• national and state parks

The Travel Industry of America reports that in 2000, 65% of adult American travelers indicated they included a cultural, arts, heritage or historic activity or event while on a trip of 50 miles or more. Of those travelers, 43% visited historic sites, 30% visited a museum, 23% attended live theater, 21% attended art galleries, 20% attended heritage or ethnic festivals, and 19% attended music concerts.

Who are cultural/heritage travelers?

Travelers who include cultural events on their trips differ from other US travelers in a number of ways. They are more likely to:

• Have annual household incomes over $50,000 
• Have completed college

They also share similarities to other travelers:

• 56% are married 
• 40% are Baby Boomers with an average age of 48 years 
• 36% have children under 18

(The above statistics come from the January 2001 survey of resident US adults, conducted by the Travel Industry of America.)

"Cultural tourists tend to be slightly older than other travelers and spend more on their trips than other age groups. The sophistication of this market will demand an experience that is authentic, high quality, and in many cases, customized to meet individual interests and needs."¹

The Economic Impact of Arts and Culture

New York State ranks first in overnight travel from Canada; 3rd in overseas visitors; and 4th in terms of both total domestic and domestic leisure travel. In 2000, there were 131.2 million person trips to New York State. These visitors spent an estimated $37.5 billion in the state during the year. More than one-quarter of these visitors attended cultural activities and historic sites.²

In its recent report, Arts & Economic Prosperity: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts Organizations and Their Audiences (2002), Americans for the Arts gathered compelling new evidence that the nonprofit arts are a significant industry in the United States - "one that generates $134 billion in total economic activity. This spending -- $53.2 billion by nonprofit arts organizations and an additional $80.8 billion in event-related spending by their audiences - supports 4.9 million jobs and delivers more than $23 billion in total government revenue¼.when communities support the arts, they not only enhance the quality of community life, but also invest in its economic well-being."

This represents a 45% increase over the $36.8 billion spent just eight years earlier in 1992. Significant to this increase was corporate support (45% increase); state legislative support (47% increase); foundation giving to the arts (100% increase); total private sector giving to arts and culture (23.4% increase); and local government support (30% increase).³

Arts programs have served as components of high-impact economic development programs by assisting state and local government in: leveraging human capital and cultural resources to generate economic vitality in underperforming regions through tourism, crafts, and cultural attractions; restoring and revitalizing communities by serving as a centerpiece for downtown redevelopment and cultural renewal; creating vibrant public spaces integrated with natural amenities, resulting in improved urban quality of life, expanded business and tax revenue base, and positive regional and community image; and contributing to a region's "innovation habitat" by simultaneously improving regional quality of life -making communities more attractive and highly desirable to knowledge-based employees - and permitting new forms of knowledge-intensive production to flourish.⁴

Ten Considerations to Guide Successful Cultural/Heritage Tourism Programs⁵

1. Visitor experiences and attractions provide genuine entertainment and educational value.

2. Sites and attractions have been developed to preserve their authenticity.

3. Visitor safety, convenience, and value are paramount concerns.

4. Visitation is viewed as an important part of the local and regional economy.

5. Business and employment opportunities accrue in the communities where cultural tourism development occurs.

6. Visitors travel a "circuit," so that less-popular sites get their share and more popular sites are not adversely affected by excessive visitation and commercialization.

7. A regional pride and identity exists among residents that are interpreted in its many facets at area attractions.

8. An understanding exists among all that tourism requires accomplished hosts and that the community's hospitality is genuine.

9. The best promotion is that provided by the recommendations of the region's residents.

10. Where participation in cultural and civic life is cherished and considered by the community to be vital in economic development, as well as an enhancement of the quality of life.

Specific Characteristics of Success

• Adapt what already works 
• Stimulate and support entrepreneurial efforts, including product development 
• Marketing: make me care; make me act 
• Preservation 
• Planning: bottom up, not to-down 
• Packaging: unite multiple destinations around common goals 
• Passion: leadership is the key to overcoming many obstacles 
• Partnerships: capitalize on the strengths of others

¹ Webb, Amy Jordan.  “2001 Outlook for Cultural Heritage Tourism.”  National Trust for Historic Preservation.  2001.

² US Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration; D.K. Shifflet & Associated Ltd., Season Year End 2000 Visitor Travel Report for New York State.  May 2001.

³ Americans for the Arts.  Arts & Economic Prosperity:  The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts Organizations and Their Audiences.  2002.  pp. 2-3.

⁴ National Governors Association.  Role of the Arts in Economic Development.  www.nga.org/common/issueBriefDetailPrint/.

⁵ Americans for the Arts.  2001.  www.artsusa.org