research
Topic: Cultural Tourism
Domestic and international tourism is a substantial business in the United States. According to the most recent study by the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), travel and tourism contributed $554.5 billion to the U.S. economy in 2003, making it the third largest retail industry. The travel and tourism industry directly employs more than 7.2 million people, creating payroll income of $158 billion and tax revenues of $94.7 billion for federal, state, and local governments.
Key Statistics
TIA studies also found that cultural travelers are one of the industry’s most lucrative markets. In fact, 81 percent of the 146.4 million U.S. adults who took a trip of 50 miles or more away from home in the past year are considered cultural tourists.
Travelers who incorporate cultural events into their trips differ from other U.S. travelers in a number of ways. Compared to all U.S. travelers in 2003, cultural travelers:
- Spend more on average: $623 vs. $457
- Are more likely to be retired: 20% vs. 16%
- Use hotels, motels, or bed & breakfasts: 62% vs. 55%
- Are more likely to spend more than $1,000: 19% vs. 12%
- Travel longer: 5.2 nights vs. 3.4 nights
- Travel by air: 19% vs. 16%
In addition to its direct economic impact, tourism can improve quality of life and build community. When the arts and tourism communities work together to highlight the unique character of a place, they can harness market forces to educate and entertain visitors, preserve cultural assets, and engender community pride in its heritage and way of life.
The role of Local Arts Agencies
According to Local Arts Agency Facts, Fiscal Year 2003, more than half of the nation's local arts agencies (63 percent) partner with another agency to provide programs and activities centered on cultural tourism. Thirty-eight percent take on the task themselves, implementing cultural tourism programs and activities. In addition, 62 percent of LAAs have a working partnership with their community's convention and tourism bureau. Forty-seven percent report that cultural tourism is addressed in their agency's mission or goals.
Relevant Topics
Issues of partnership, authenticity, regionalism, and cultural stewardship are at the forefront of conversation on cultural tourism. Market research shows that travelers in the United States are seeking meaningful and distinctive experiences, and travel marketing is being customized to their interests. A growing number of special-interest travelers rank the arts, heritage, and other cultural activities as one of the top five reasons for traveling. These trends are fueled by the proliferation of online services that make it easier for travelers to find information and customize itineraries.
Craft and Heritage Trails
Craft and heritage trails are regionally based and built around a specific topic—such as handcrafts, a musical genre, or a series of historic events. North Carolina’s HandMade in America develops trails, tours, and adventures through initiatives that focus on bonding visitors with craft, people, and place.
Regionalism
A growing trend within the tourism industry has been to focus regionally on an area’s cultural appeal. Soul of the South: Our Heritage, Our Hospitality, Our Hometowns is a southern state initiative, which highlights the region's musical heritage.
Cross-Industry Collaborations
Tourism is a business that demands resources and expertise from myriad industries—like travel, lodging, restaurant, and cultural industries. Since the mid-1990s, coordinated and centralized efforts to promote cultural and heritage tourism nationwide have blossomed. The most recent focus of organizations such as Partners in Tourism is to connect with other placemaking industries with a focus on tourist markets.
Authenticity
As cultural tourism gains in popularity, the demand for high-quality authentic experiences is on the rise. In an effort to maintain the integrity of cultural heritage and traditions, advocates of authenticity promote ethical practice and scholarship within the cultural tourism industry. Alaska's Silver Hand Program protects artists and guarantees consumers that items bearing the Silver Hand identification seal are authentic—made in Alaska, by native artists.
Resource:
- Americans for the Arts Monograph: Cultural Tourism: Bridging America Through Partnerships in Arts, Tourism and Economic Development