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U.S. Cultural & Heritage Tourism Summit Highlights

Purpose

The U.S. Cultural & Heritage Tourism Summit celebrated the 10th anniversary of the landmark 1995 White House Conference on Travel and Tourism by convening more than 400 representatives from state, local and federal arts, tourism, historic preservation, humanities, transportation and natural resource agencies, as well as tourism leaders, elected officials and nonprofit, tribal, public and private sector leaders to create a national strategy for the cultural and heritage tourism industry.
Summit Goal:
To develop and expand cultural and heritage tourism for the benefit of local economies, local residents, cultural institutions, traveling consumers and the travel and tourism industry.
Advisors:
An advisory committee was created to assist in the development of the content for the agenda; to assist in the development of program sponsor recommendations; and to provide recommendations for speakers and presenters. The U.S. Department of Commerce, The President' Committee on the Arts and the Humanities and Shop America Alliance were the presenting sponsors and worked closely with The Cultural & Heritage Tourism Alliance and Partners in Tourism as well, to develop this Summit.
Audience:
Over 400 delegates attended, with the size limited to allow for interactive dialogues. The Governors of each state and the four territories and the Mayor of the District of Columbia appointed three delegates each to ensure that the delegations were representative of tourism, and cultural and heritage businesses and sites throughout the 56 states, territories and the district. The balance of the attendees were delegates at large from all aspects of the arts and humanities, historic, and cultural and heritage institutions.
Program:
The program took place from October 6 – October 8, 2005 in Washington, D.C. and featured a combination of dynamic and prominent keynote and general session speakers, industry success story panels, as well as specific break-out workshops to encourage dialogue and interaction with the delegates. Two town hall meetings were held to encourage interaction among the delegates from their own locales as well as for the content of the Declaration of Principles and Action.

Outcomes

A Position Paper on Cultural and Heritage Tourism in the United States:
The position paper and the Declaration endorsed by the delegates are the framework for the national strategy, which by design, is to be fulfilled by the actions, vision and leadership of state, local and federal arts, tourism, historic preservation, humanities, transportation and natural resource agencies, as well as tourism leaders, elected officials and nonprofit, tribal, public and private sector leaders.
Declaration of Principles and Action:
Endorsed by the delegates, this document complements the position paper as a tool to ground a national strategy in local, regional and state action.
Resolution:
This declaration of support by the delegates backs a collaboration between the Southeast Tourism Policy Council and the Southern Arts Federation in assisting in the revitalization of the Gulf Coast Region' heritage, cultural and tourism resources. The purpose is to create a bridge and a focus for coordination between the various sectors in response to the disasters created by the Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Priorities and action steps:
Delegates appointed by the governor with their at-large colleagues met by state to devise potential actions in addressing the goals of the position paper and the unique needs of their state' cultural and heritage tourism industry.

Who was There and What they Said

Keynote speakers included the following:
Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez:
"Travel and tourism is an essential element of our strong growing economy. We want visitors to hear about the men and women whose leadership, service and creativity make this nation a beacon of hope throughout the world."
Lynn Biggar, Senior Vice President, American Express Consumer Travel Network:
"The private sector has an important role in supporting a responsible and sustainable policy in protecting, promoting and preserving cultural and heritage resources."
Adair Margo, Chairman, President' Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, on the meaning of cultural and heritage tourism:
"Opening our hearts and minds to our community. So we can know it and share it–creating ambassadors for our community."
Nick Jordan, Kansas State Senator:
"We need a strategy for the industry that is sustainable. In an environment where different groups [in our industry] are competing for [public] dollars and we need a strategy that benefits us all."
John Nau, Chairman, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation:
"Preserve America provides us with ways to recognize the tremendous efforts to preserve and share the past already taking place throughout the country, as well as to enhance opportunities to broadly promote and market products that already exist – great products you drive by every day."
Roger Dow, President and CEO, Travel Industry Association of America:
"We define America by our art, by our history and by our music. We have to talk about how we’re going to thrive, how we’re going to grow, how we’re going to exceed expectations, how this industry is going to be the fabric this country is about, and the defining part of what Brand USA is."
Mayor John Hickenlooper, Denver, CO:
"The rural and urban divide is broken down through this context of cultural and heritage tourism."
Mayor Bill Purcell, Nashville, TN:
"[Cultural and heritage tourism] offers a vision of the past that is the roadway to our future." He added, "more people participate in culture and heritage than in sports events in my city."
Louisiana Lt Gov Mitch Landrieu:
On Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the "cultural economy is the engine of change. This is a real human tragedy that has the power to transform a people. This time of sorrow must be transformed into a time of hope."

Cultural & Heritage Tourism Consumer

A study was conducted as part of the Summit to provide information on the cultural and heritage tourism consumer and market. Presenters and researchers included: Dawn Drew, Vice President and Publisher, National Geographic Traveler; Lalia Rach, Ed.D, Dean & HVS International Chair, New York University, Preston Robert Tisch Center, Suzanne Cook, PhD, Senior Vice President, Research, Travel Industry Association of America; Adam Sacks, Managing Partner, Global Insight.
Travel is an extension of what they do at home
Upcoming younger generations of consumers cannot be reached by magazines or brochures. They are plugged in–get their information from the Web and non-traditional channels
Cultural and Heritage tourism employment doubled in the last five years
Cultural and heritage tourism sales were $41 billion in 2004

Implementing a National Strategy

Delegations representing 50 states, District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands met in a town hall setting to identify three potential actions they would take in meeting the goals of the position paper and addressing the strengths and weaknesses in their states. Some highlights:
• "Revolutionize" the Governor' Conference to includes arts, cultural and heritage organizations in both programming and attendance • Design, develop and implement an African American Heritage Summit
• Survey all cultural and heritage tourism assets to create an inventory resource
• Challenge the private sector to help develop cultural and heritage tourism programming
• Form statewide cultural and heritage tourism alliance or task force to improve communication and propel growth of industry
• Develop an integrated statewide cultural and heritage tourism plan
• Develop more accurate return on investment (ROI) assessments of cultural and heritage tourism organizations
• Get architecture and other "specialty" schools involved in cultural and heritage tourism planning and development
• Provide money and technical support for local cultural and heritage tourism sites
• Develop public/private leadership team to help move cultural and heritage tourism initiatives forward
• Add "culture host" component to hospitality training program
• Create more formal cultural and heritage tourism network/communications
• Dedicate funding year 'round for cultural and heritage tourism events
• Build on state cultural and heritage tourism summit by convening regional meetings
• Educate the state' decision makers about cultural and heritage tourism and its importance in the economic development of the state
• Host a familiarization tour for legislators to introduce them to the cultural and heritage tourism resources in the area
• Adopt a legislator and educate them about all things related to cultural and heritage tourism

What is Next

Partners in Tourism, a contributor to the Summit, will serve as the steward for implementing the national strategy and a forum for communication and information on developments in the field in advancing the goals of the Summit. Partners is a coalition of national associations and federal agencies, representing a broad spectrum of arts, humanities, tourism and heritage organizations, as well as federal agencies. Summit materials, follow-up and news can be found at http://www.culturalheritagetourism.org/
The Cultural & Heritage Tourism Alliance will host its national conference focusing in part on the key areas addressed in the Summit.
The U.S. Cultural & Heritage Tourism Marketing Council will become the marketing arm dedicated to marketing U.S. Cultural & Heritage Tourism Destinations. It will represent the leading U.S. Tourism Destinations, Attractions and Travel Partners engaged in marketing our country’s unique Cultural & Heritage Tourism Treasures. Its Mission is to develop strategies, engage partners and facilitate marketing of U.S. Cultural & Heritage attractions and destinations to travelers from throughout the USA and around the world. Information about the council can be found at www.uscht.com

Resources

A Position Paper on Cultural and Heritage Tourism in the United States–part of the framework for the national strategy for cultural and heritage tourism
Declaration of Principles and Action–a summary statement and suggested actions to address cultural and heritage tourism by key stakeholders. Part two of the national strategy.
Cultural & Heritage Tourism Quiz–designed to address overall strengths and weaknesses in five key areas.
Cultural and Heritage Tourism Website–information and updates on the Summit and the cultural and heritage tourism field managed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Partners in Tourism.
Cultural & Heritage Tourism Marketing Council –Information about the council, partnership opportunities, updates on initiatives and links to cultural and heritage partners, destinations, supporters and the USCHT Marketing Council’s marketing website, www.CultureToursAndMore.com