About partners for livable

U.S. Cultural Heritage Tourism Destinations
 
• Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach, CA
• The Capitol Arts Center Theater, Bowling Green, KY
• Washington State’s Heritage Tours 
• Museum of African American History, Boston, MA
• Italian Heritage Parade, San Francisco, CA
• Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico
• Savannah Historic District, Savannah, GA
• The Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library – Indianapolis, 
Indiana
• Smithtown Historical Society, Long Island, NY
• Scandinavian Festival, Junction City, OR
• District of Columbia

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Cultural Heritage Tourism
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Travelers who are interested in cultural heritage tourism would visit or take part in any of the following:
• Historical attractions, monuments, or landmarks
• Museums, art galleries, or theaters
• Festivals, concerts, or performances
• Culturally significant neighborhoods or communities
Tourists who are interested in cultural heritage generally want to learn something about the beliefs and 
practices—and the struggles and successes—that shaped the shared identity of a people. Some of these 
tourists may share a degree of ancestry with the people whose history they are interested in.
As far as its scale, there is no doubt that interest in cultural heritage tourism is already strong and growing 
stronger. Recent studies have shown that 78% of US tourists take part in a cultural heritage activity while 
traveling (more than the number that report visiting friends or family while traveling).
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From a certain view, cultural heritage tourists might be thought of as amateur ethnographers. But while 
they are interested in learning about other cultures, they are first and foremost tourists. Cultural heritage 
tourists travel to experience other cultures and learn about the past, but they do so as tourists and not as 
specialists. While some of their interests differ from those of more recreational tourists, cultural heritage 
Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Photo credit: Sumikophoto.

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Cultural Heritage Tourism
tourists have the same need for amenities such as restaurants 
and hotels that the tourist economy as a whole depends upon.
Though this is good news for the communities that wish to 
reap the economic benefits of tourism, what is even better 
news is that cultural heritage tourists are known to have 
higher incomes and bring more resources to the communities 
they visit than other types of tourists. Studies have shown 
that cultural heritage tourists are more frequent travelers, are more likely to travel farther to get the 
experiences they want, and spend more money than the average tourist.
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In addition to these findings, 
a report issued in 2003 by the Travel Industry Association of America on the characteristics of cultural 
heritage tourists also found that for the majority of cultural heritage tourists, a specific historic or cultural 
activity or event was a main reason for at least one trip in the past year, and 40% of them added extra time 
to their trip because of an historic or cultural activity.