Cultural and Heritage Tourism

About Cultural and Heritage Tourism

History and culture provide a key opportunity for travel promoters and planners. The educational experience from heritage tourism can be partnered with other tourist attractions. The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s (NTHP) definition of cultural heritage tourism is “traveling to experience the places and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present. It includes historic, cultural and natural resources." The NTHP identified five principles to guide the combining of heritage and tourism: collaborate; find the fit between a community or region and tourism; make sites and programs come alive; focus on authenticity and quality of experience; and preserve and protect resources. See NTHP Cultural Heritage 2008 Fact Sheet ().

Cultural Heritage Tourism, National Trust for Historic Preservation
Cultural Works: Cultural Resources as Economic Development Tools, Public Management, 08/2000 (Available through MRSC Library Loan - ED 5.6000)
Preserving America - Historic Preservation and Heritage Tourism in Housing and Community Development: A Guide to Using Community Development Block Grant Funds for Historic Preservation and Heritage Tourism in Your Communities ( 10 MB), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD-2004-09-CPD, 2004

Information Resources on Cultural and Heritage Tourism

Cultural & Heritage Tourism Alliance - A group of tourism marketing professionals who share the vision and challenge of increasing tourism to communities through the promotion of authentic and unique cultural and heritage offerings
Cultural Heritage Tourism, Heritage Tourism Program, National Trust for Historic Preservation - A resource for organizations and individuals who are developing, marketing or managing cultural heritage tourism attractions or programs

Cultural Heritage TookKits - Links to tool kit sites
Cultural Heritage Tourism News, Summer 2011 (), National Trust for Historic Preservation

Cultural Tourism Page, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
Excerpts from The Community Cultural Planning Handbook: A Guide for Community Leaders, by Craig Dreeszen, in National Endowment of the Arts' Lessons Learned: A Planning ToolSite
Getting Started : How to Succeed in Heritage Tourism, Cultural Heritage Tourism , National Trust for Historic Preservation
Heritage Tourism, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
Heritage Tourism, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation Resources
- Heritage Tourism Publications - Cultural Tourism
Heritage Tourism Handbook: A How-To-Guide for Georgia (), 03/2010
Heritage Tourism Literature (), 4Culture, King County
How Cultural Heritage Tourism Organizations Can Beat The Recession, Cultural Heritage Tourism Survival Toolkit, National Trust for Historic Preservation
Lessons Learned: A Planning Tool Site, National Endowment of the Arts
Northwest Heritage Resources - Nonprofit organization whose mission is to conserve cultural heritage and to present, promote, preserve and document the diverse cultural traditions of the Pacific Northwest.

Economic Impact of Cultural Tourism

Challenges of Estimating and Using Economic Impacts for Cultural Tourism (), by Gail A. Vander Stoep, Proceedings of the 2004 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium, GTR-NE-326, Northeastern Research Station, USDA Forest Service
Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation, Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, 01/2007
Studies on the Economic Impacts of Heritage Tourism, Partners in Tourism: Culture and Commerce
Economic Impacts of Specific Projects - Art and Culture, MRSC
Economic Impacts of Specific Projects - Tourism, MRSC
Economic Impact of the Arts in South Carolina (Study of Cultural Activities), South Carolina Arts Commission, 04/2002

Examples of Cultural and Heritage Tourism

Downtowns with Historic Themes, MRSC

Creating Cultural Events and Attractions - Examples

Anacortes Arts Festival
Bellingham Festival of Music
Coupeville Arts and Crafts Festival
Ellensburg Jazz in the Valley
Tacoma Broadway Center (Theater District)
Outdoor Sculpture Collection, Western Washington University

Building on an Historic Heritage - Examples

Bellingham Fairhaven Historic District, Bellingham Planning & Community Development
- Fairhaven Historic District, Fairhaven.com
Friday Harbor - Historic Friday Harbor
4Culture, Heritage Tourism, King County
La Conner, La Conner Chamber of Commerce
National Maritime Heritage Area Study, Gig Harbor, Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, April 2010- Information about Washington State’s proposed National Maritime Heritage Area
Port Townsend History, PTGuide.com
Heritage, Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau
Snohomish
- Destination Snohomish
- Snohomish History
Steilacoom History

Tours Featuring Cultural Heritage

Destination Heritage, 4Culture - A guide to historic places around King County
Lewis and Clark Trail
Washington State’s Heritage Tours, Partners in Tourism, National Trust for Historic Preservation
Washington State Scenic Highways, Washington Department of Transportation

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