Photo from Historic Fresno
Historic Preservation + Tourism = ?
On the most basic level, historic preservation is a way to embrace the unique development of a community and serves as a vital educational tool for future generations. Historic preservation is also an important tool for economic development and the revitalization of distressed communities and has become a major resource for the U.S. travel and tourism industries.
The U.S. travel and tourism industries are crucial to the nation’s economic vitality. In 2010, travel and tourism directly contributed $759 billion to the U.S. economy, employed over 7.4 million workers, created a payroll income of $188 billion, and brought in $118 billion in tax revenues for federal, state, and local governments. In general, travel and tourism spur economic growth and vitality, and historic preservation helps facilitate foot traffic and fosters city distinctiveness.
Together, the historic preservation movement and travel and tourism industries have the potential to improve the quality of life of a community and build civic pride. Preservation of historic structures, traditions, customs and stories of the past attracts visitors and tourists willing to spend money and time in distinct communities, and the result is heritage tourism.
Answer: Heritage Tourism
According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, heritage tourism involves travel to experience places, artifacts, and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past. Heritage tourists have the opportunity to explore the cultural values, architecture, and history of ethnic groups. These tourists take part in cultural activities such as traditional dances, art-making, and ethnic cooking.
The heritage tourism movement has picked up momentum since the late 1990s because of its measured economic and experiential impact: studies have consistently shown that heritage travelers stay longer and spend more money. Between 1996 and 2002, heritage travel increased by 13 percent compared to U.S. travel overall (5.6 percent). A 1997 Travel Industry Association of America study showed that heritage tourists had higher educational attainment, were more affluent, spent more money per trip, and stayed longer than other tourists.
A heritage tourism platform can be an attractive economic revitalization strategy, providing a larger source of sustained revenue for a community, creating new businesses, increasing tax revenues, and fostering job growth. Heritage tourism has the potential to make historic preservation economically viable by using historic structures and landscapes to attract visitors and improve the quality of life for residents simultaneously. Historic preservation enhances heritage tourism, and helps to further generate communities’ unique character and civic pride.
Where to go from here?
Many communities and states have increasingly embraced historic preservation as a policy tool for economic development, seeing the great potential for attracting visitors and tourists. On the national level, there are many tools and resources available for localities to partake in preservation projects that will ultimately attract more tourists. States have begun to form cultural commissions that designate cultural landmarks and regional heritage areas, opening up an opportunity for collaborative efforts on the regional level to protect landscape, preserve historic structures, and stimulate regional economic development.
On the local level, you can support local communities through participating in “buy local” campaigns, spending an afternoon on Main Street, or even choosing to advocate to save historic structures important to your community’s identity.
Share your story on the Cultural Heritage Tourism website dedicated to providing resources for historic preservation practitioners. Interested in embarking on your own heritage tour? The National Trust for Historic Preservation provides an interactive site where you can find historic places, heritage tours, and historic hotels of America.
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Jenna Chilingerian is a CEOs for Cities Summer Success Fellow. Jenna is a Fresno, California native and recent graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles. Jenna received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Civic Engagement, and earned both College Honors and Summa Cum Laude Latin Honors. She recently moved to Cleveland, Ohio to complete a summer City Success Fellowship with CEOs for Cities.