TALKING POINTS
FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A
STATE-FUNDED CULTURAL HERITAGE TOURISM PROGRAM
1.
What is Cultural Heritage Tourism?
There are many different ways of describing heritage
tourism, but we are using the following in defining it:
Cultural Heritage Tourism is based on the places,
traditions, industries, celebrations, experiences and art that portray the
diversity and character of a community or region. For West Virginia,
this includes:
The
National Trust for Historic Preservation says:
“Cultural heritage tourism means traveling to experience the places and
activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past
and presents. It includes irreplaceable historic, cultural and natural
resources.”
Another definition:
“Cultural/heritage tourism is purposeful travel that enables the traveler
to learn about the history, heritage and lifestyles while contributing to
the conservation and restoration of cultural resources and the economic
well-being of the community.”
2.
What is its relationship to eco-tourism,
rural tourism, etc?
There are many segments in the tourism market and
different perspectives. Cultural Heritage Tourism incorporates eco and
nature based tourism as vital aspects of understanding and experiencing an
area’s heritage.
Most of West Virginia is rural; therefore, rural
tourism is a key part of cultural heritage tourism or visa versa.
3. Benefits of Cultural Heritage Tourism
Cultural heritage tourism provides many benefits
including:
-
Increasing tax revenues via non
residents expenditures
-
Creating jobs
-
Diversifying the local economy with
meaningful returns.
-
Attracting new investment.
-
Helping revitalize downtowns
-
Preserving Local Traditions
-
Increasing cultural heritage
attractions revenue
-
Creating opportunities for
partnerships
-
Fulfilling experiences for visitors
-
Educating our children about their
heritage
-
Building community pride in
heritage
4. What are the economic benefits?
·
The potential to increase WV tax revenues.
A similar program that's been running in Connecticut for three years
demonstrates a 10:1 return on investment. Maryland shows a $4.61 in tax
revenue for every dollar invested in heritage areas.
·
Cultural heritage travel is a large and
lucrative segment of the travel industry. In 2002, 81% of U.S. adults
included at least one cultural, arts, historic or heritage activity
totaling 118.1 million adult travelers. Visiting historic sites and
museums is the third most popular vacation activity for U.S. travelers
behind shopping and outdoor activities. Cultural heritage travelers also
spend more and stay longer than other travelers, generating more economic
benefit. Cultural heritage travelers spend an average of $623 per U.S.
trip excluding the cost of transportation versus $457 for other U.S.
travelers (The Historic/Cultural Traveler, Travel Industry Association and
Smithsonian Magazine, 2003).
•
In Pennsylvania Cultural Heritage Tourism
represents direct spending of 3.5 billion dollars and 88,000 jobs for 1.7
Billion dollar in salaries.
•
These tourists are more likely: to fly, rent
cars, stay in lodging facilities and shop than any other tourist segment.
For example 44% of these tourists shop versus 34 % of average tourist.
•
This multi-faceted form of tourism now
represents 20% of the tourism market and a staggering 40 % of tourist
expenditures
•
Baby Boomers will increasingly seek these
types of experiences. This group is going to live longer, travel more and
have more expendable income than any other generation before it.
5. Could
this negatively impact our community?
·
A good cultural heritage tourism improves the
quality of life for residents as well as serving visitors.
·
West Virginia Cultural Heritage Tourism
Program relies on grassroots support for its involvement in assisting
communities and will incorporate sound management practices to minimize
impact of tourists on their community.
·
These types of tourists travel during all
times of the year, thus spreading out its impact.
·
Because these tourists value the culture of
the places they visit, they tend to be more respectful of local values and
customs, and to help take care of the places they visit.
6.
Why does the State need this program?
·
West Virginia has an abundance of resources
and amenities that cultural heritage tourists are interested in.
·
Competition for these tourist dollars is
intense and growing with over 30 states having formal state programs.
These include the neighboring states of Pennsylvania, Virginia and North
Carolina which are three of the top ten states visited by cultural
heritage tourists and Maryland which invests around a million dollars per
year in developing its heritage tourism efforts.
·
Three things are evident by these facts:
cultural heritage tourism is economic development, there are lots of
cultural tourists nearby and West Virginia needs to invest in a
comprehensive approach to capture its share of this lucrative and
burgeoning market.
·
54% of these travelers want to get off the
beaten path which creates rural economic development opportunities and 58
% want to try different foods which provide income for small, family
restaurants.
·
Almost every study done indicates exploring
small towns are an important part of these visitors’ experiences. This
means most of West Virginia’s communities can benefit from this program.
·
This program is part of the Vision Shared
work plan
·
See Economic Benefits
7. What is the purpose or mission of this
program?
A West Virginia Cultural Heritage Tourism Development
Program will use the state’s historic, cultural and natural resources to
establish sustainable heritage tourism programs for regions and
communities for the purpose of stimulating economic opportunities for
communities, businesses, organizations and individuals and preserving and
conserving these resources.
Goals:
·
To develop authentic experiences that provides
more understanding, and promotes the use of West Virginia’s cultural
resources for residents and visitors alike.
·
To assist small and agri-businesses in
capturing more of the cultural heritage tourist dollars.
·
To work with community leadership on
initiatives that foster cultural tourism planning, economic development,
and quality of life in communities throughout the state.
·
To encourage preservation, conservation, and
sustainability of West cultural resources.
·
To coordinate and build partnerships between
the various state agencies and organizations to maximize benefits of this
program for West Virginians.
To promote the use of measurement and evaluation
tools that track return on investment and economic impact
Key to success will be forming partnerships at the
state and local levels in order to have true success and support for these
efforts.
8. What will this program do?
Proposed Services:
§
Point of contact for communities and regions
interested in heritage tourism.
§
Provide information, training and technical
assistance to small and agri-businesses on capturing more cultural
heritage tourist dollars.
§
Establishment of a program to encourage
regional cooperation, including recognition of regional heritage areas and
thematic trails.
§
Technical assistance and planning expertise
for communities and regions interested in implementing a comprehensive
approach.
§
Facilitate the development and interpretation
of attractions.
§
Promote the development of businesses and
visitor services to serve heritage tourists.
§
Coordinate the delivery of services from all
appropriate agencies.
§
Evaluate the impact of heritage tourism on
local and state economies.
9. How much will it cost and will it really
benefit WV’s economy?
We are proposing a $400,000 annual appropriation but
based on our success we believe that we can bring in additional federal
and foundation funds to assist in our efforts especially with our local
partners. Maryland’s program has brought in over $10 million dollars in
additional revenues to its heritage areas.
10. Why is it housed in WV Development Office’s
Main Street Division?
In 2003, the Steering Committee of the Cultural
Heritage Tourism Initiative, including representatives from Divisions of
Tourism, Culture and History, Departments of Transportation, Natural
Resources, Agriculture and the West Virginia Development Office as well as
non-profit and community partners, investigated the best placement for a
sustained Cultural Heritage Tourism development program. The Committee
recommended that the Development Office house this initiative within the
Main Street Program.
The
primary emphasis of this program is heritage development
which combines heritage tourism with small business development especially
in rural areas. The Development Office, and more specifically Main Street,
has a more comprehensive community economic development focus than any of
the other agencies.
The program will rely on and work with the Division
of Tourism on their significant marketing expertise in promoting the
state’s heritage resources. They have done a tremendous job in branding
Wild and Wonderful West Virginia.
Similarly, the program will work closely with the
Preservation Alliance of West Virginia and Division of Culture and History
on matters related to historic preservation, interpretation and supporting
crafts in our state.
Other agencies such as the Department of Agriculture
and State Parks will be important partners in developing products and
services to sell the cultural tourist.
Send mail to webster@pawv.org with questions or comments about this
web site.
Copyright © 2005 Preservation Alliance of West Virginia
