A new study, the first of its kind, confirms that cultural and heritage tourism is huge - and bigger than many of us thought in terms of economic impact. I can tell you as Chair of the U.S. Travel Association that this is great news for just about every destination in the U.S., as all of us have products that will appeal to this market. 

Especially noteworthy is that this group is affluent and travels more and further as a whole- which means they are less impacted by the slow economy than other types of travelers. 

The study, conducted by Mandala Research for the U.S. Cultural & Heritage Tourism (USCHT) Marketing Council, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Commerce, shows that 78% of all U.S. leisure travelers (118.3 million adults) participate in cultural and/or heritage activities while traveling, spending an average of $994 per trip and contributing to more than $192 billion annually to the U.S. economy.  

Aside from their affluence and propensity to travel more in general, what also makes these such high-value customers is that they are more likely to participate in culinary activities, such as sampling artisan food and wines, attending food and wine festivals, visiting farmers' markets, shopping for gourmet foods, and enjoying unique dining experiences as well as fine dining.

Other cultural and heritage activities identified by travelers include visiting historic sites (66%); attending historical re-enactments (64%); visiting art museums/galleries (54%); attending an art/craft fair or festival (45%); attending a professional dance performance (44%); visiting state/national parks (41%); shopping in museum stores (32%); and exploring urban neighborhoods (30%).  The vast majority of these travelers (65%) say that they seek travel experiences where the "destination, its buildings and surroundings have retained their historic character."

This all means big business for California, which we sorely need right now. As the President & CEO of the California Travel & Tourism Commission, I strongly encourage destinations and local governments in the Golden State to participate in our 6^th Annual Cultural and Heritage Tourism Symposium January 27-29, 2010 in Chico, and help us continue to better promote existing product and develop new ones.

We bring together many different perspectives - arts, language, museums, heritage, crafts, public lands, architecture, design, film and broadcasting, agriculture, as well as economic development and local government - to develop California cultural and heritage tourism. Some cities know they might have something they can promote, and don't know there to start. Through this annual Symposium, as well as numerous regional workshops throughout the year, we offers industry partners educational forums and opportunities to find partners with the right skills to help share the work and increase success. 

Attendance is growing at our annual symposium, but we believe there are still a lot of destinations which are not taking development of this market seriously enough.  In case the study leaves any doubt to the importance of this market, I'd like to spell it out in state numbers. According to TNS TravelsAmerica, cultural travelers to California also spend considerably more than the typical visitor.  In 2008, domestic visitor parties who included at least one cultural activity during their stay (30 percent of leisure overnight visitors) spent an average of $1,008 on their trips, while those who didn't do cultural activities spent an average of $633 per trip.

California's cultural travelers are also well rounded, with 45 percent going out for fine dining, 36 percent going to the beach, and 24 percent participating in urban sightseeing.  According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, culture and heritage experiences are also very popular for California's international travelers. In 2008, 44 percent of California's overseas travelers visited historical places during their trips to the US, 36 percent visited small towns, and 35 percent visited national parks.

As you can see, cultural and heritage tourism is important for California --  not just for big cities, but for beaches, rural areas and national parks. To help keep our industry strong over the long haul, it's critical that we all work together as a state to develop product and promotions which appeal to this lucrative market. Click here to find out more about cultural travelers and how you can get involved at our next Cultural and Heritage Tourism Symposium.