Cultural tourism is the travel industry's term describing travel and visitation activities directed at an area's arts, heritage, recreational, and natural resources. Cultural tourism is an important tool for celebrating, preserving, and promoting an area's unique history and heritage. It is also an effective way to stimulate the local creative economy as it increases opportunities for artists, encourages public participation in the arts, and facilitates cultural commerce.
Communities throughout the United States have developed successful programs linking the arts, humanities, history, and tourism. In Broward County, cultural and heritage organizations-such as museums, performing arts organizations, festivals, humanities, and historic preservation groups-have formed partnerships with organizations such as Cultural Heritage Alliance for Tourism, Inc., tour operators, convention and visitors bureaus, hotels, and air carriers to create initiatives that serve as models for similar efforts across the United States. The result of these partnerships can be seen in the over 1,000 events representing the cultural identities of many nations in Broward County, including cultural tourism exhibitions, programs, festivals, and performances such as Destination Sistrunk, the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, Duende, Florida International Trade and Cultural Expo, Art and Tech Incubators, Public Art Walking Tour, Riptide Music Festival, ChalkLit, and many more.
Recent tourism research indicates clearly that cultural tourism is an effective enterprise. Some key economic facts about cultural tourism include:
- Cultural tourism is the fastest growing sector of the travel industry.
- Cultural tourists spend $62 more per day and $200 more per trip than other travelers.
- Cultural tourists include multiple destinations during a visit and stay one half-day longer at each destination.
- Cultural tourists make destination choices related directly to an area's performance, artistic, architecture, and historical offerings.
It is important that Broward County support initiatives that increase the opportunities for cultural tourism because Broward County seeks to be a leading tourism destination. |