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Sheila Armstrong
Executive Director
US Cultural & Heritage Tourism
Marketing Council
Office:
(843) 341-6392
Click Here to E-Mail
USCHT Marketing
Council Website
www.uscht.com
USCHT Marketing Website
culturetoursandmore.com
U.S. Cultural & Heritage Tourism Summit
Friday, October 7, 2005
Washington, DCState delegates to the U.S. Cultural and Heritage Tourism Summit were asked to work together to identify three initiatives they would commit to developing and implementing once they returned home. What follows is a compilation of all initiatives that were identified during the “Town Hall meeting” on Friday morning of the Summit.
Governor'S/Cultural & Heritage Tourism Conferences
“Revolutionize” the Governor’s Conference to includes arts, cultural, heritage organizations in both programming and attendance
Reinvigorate Governor’s Conference for research and educational training
Encourage Governor to concentrate on cultural and heritage tourism at next Governor’s Conference
Resurrect awards programming that would be expanded to include cultural and heritage tourism entities
Work with state university to create cultural and heritage tourism conference
Develop better communications for regional meetings
Reinstate cultural and heritage tourism summit at state level
Hold workshops on cultural and heritage tourism in Spring ‘06
Get arts/heritage organizations to hold bi-annual meetings with tourism related organizations
Build audience for hosting a cultural and heritage tourism summit
Add cultural and heritage tourism sessions to annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism
Host a cultural and heritage tourism conference and encourage the participation of the private sector
Convene a cultural and heritage tourism meeting in partnership with the Humanities Council
Create an executive summary of this Summit to share throughout the state
Create cultural and heritage tourism action steps at next Governor’s Conference
Niche Product Development/Niche Product Marketing
Focus on African American travel by expanding African American trail development, encourage participation by cultural and heritage tourism leaders
Design, develop and implement an African American Heritage Summit
Develop cultural and heritage tourism trails
Develop rural tourism programming that integrates the arts, cultural and heritage components
Promote cultural and heritage tourism itineraries
Develop an arts council/state tourism office training session to cross-train practitioners
Hire a cultural heritage tourism coordinator/manager to put emphasis on cultural and heritage tourism in the state
Identify and develop a cultural heritage tourism partners group to unify and propel cultural and heritage tourism in the state
Expand Lewis & Clark trails to showcase cultural and heritage tourism
Expand “trails” program
Prioritize cultural and heritage tourism assets for inventory and focus
Better organize cultural and heritage tourism assets to market and promote
Challenge the private sector to help develop cultural and heritage tourism programming
Develop multi-state cultural and heritage tourism trails
Survey all cultural and heritage tourism assets to create an inventory resource
Identify new markets with cultural and heritage tourism product; develop packages for marketing/direct selling
Identify “best practices” and local examples to expand product development of cultural and heritage tourism products
Expand local festival schedules
Encourage creation of a single “location” where all pertinent information on cultural and heritage tourism can be sourced
Develop a smorgasbord of cultural and heritage tourism opportunities for travelers to select
Develop a cultural and heritage tourism attraction to showcase within the state
Develop product marketing tools
Develop Civil War and Underground Railroad trails
Develop fairs and festivals materials
Focus on marketing to reunion groups and family gatherings
Economic Development/Strategic Planning
Support the state’s plan on creative economy
Develop an integrated statewide cultural and heritage tourism plan
Design, develop and implement a cultural and heritage tourism marketing plan
Look for creative, but stable, funding for cultural and heritage tourism programming and entities
Further the development of the cluster model currently underway
Pull together all agencies across the state for more cohesive strategic planning
Document return on investment (ROI) of cultural and heritage tourism entities to support continued financial investment by state
Develop more accurate return on investment (ROI) of cultural and heritage tourism organizations
Review current process of tourism marketing and delivery to ensure best use of funds/effort
Develop a strategic understanding of cultural and heritage tourism for all “silos”
Develop a customer-centric focus and shepherd industry toward that customer-driven goal
Continue to work to knock down barriers among all agencies
Increase product development in cultural and heritage tourism
Maintain partnerships for cultural and heritage tourism in order to have a unified plan in place by 2007
Work with state tourism office to write a collaborative marketing plan that includes all industry segments
Convene cultural and heritage tourism agencies
Work with state travel council, CVBs, and Commissioner of Cultural Resources to expand integration of efforts between cultural/heritage and tourism
Further research of economic impact of cultural and heritage tourism on state’s economy
Form a cultural and heritage tourism alliance
Separate cultural and heritage from the state plan in order to have this segment highlighted
Establish cultural and heritage tourism as a priority in the state
Broaden statewide travel industry association to include a working group of arts and cultural organizations
Develop a statewide plan with objectives and action items to advance cultural and heritage tourism
Centralize organizations for one budget for cultural and heritage tourism organizations
Strengthen collaboration of cultural and heritage tourism groups to form a cultural and heritage tourism alliance
Increase public stewardship of cultural and heritage tourism resources, and increase appropriate signage
Get architecture and other “specialty” schools involved in cultural and heritage tourism planning and development
Elected Officials
Work with local and state elected officials to get them better educated about cultural and heritage tourism
Provide cultural and heritage tourism materials and information for governor and governor’s staff
Educate the state’s decision makers about cultural and heritage tourism and its importance in the economic development of the state
Work to gain/increase financial support for cultural and heritage tourism sector from state legislators
Host a familiarization tour for legislators to introduce them to the cultural and heritage tourism inventory in the area
Adopt a legislator and educate them about all things related to cultural and heritage tourism
Organize an advocacy initiative
Pass a resolution to focus on specific regions that have been identified as cultural and heritage “great places”
Ask Governor to create a statewide advocacy committee on cultural and heritage tourism
Write a position paper for local economic development agencies to use to educate legislators (and others) on the monetary value of cultural and heritage tourism
Partner with division of tourism and economic development office to advocate for cultural and heritage tourism with local and state officials
Support state business council in getting a creative economy model put before the state legislature
Report to Governor and raise awareness of cultural and heritage tourism in policy and improvements needed in state (i.e. signage)
Reporting Summit findings to Governor’s office and to state’s Congressional delegation
Gulf Coast Initiatives
Work with federal, regional, state and local entities to help rebuild the Gulf Coast