"Cultural Tourism" is one of those phrases which seems to spring fully rounded from the thin lips of Washington buracratics and media pundents. I'm not sure that "all tourism is cultural tourism" as suggested by Garrison Keillor at the White House Conference on Tourism and I think the other definitions of cultural tourism I've read recently have been crafted for exclusive inclusion in grant applications. Bone dry and weary.

Nevertheless, museums in all their rich and rewarding forms seem to have been discovered, finally and we hope fortunately, by the travel industry. The Travel Industry Association of America just released a big new study which profiles the visitors to our sites.

Compared to travelers overall, travelers seeking historical and cultural experiences are a little older with above-average education and they are unlikely to have children in their households. They stay longer (5.2 nights vs. 4.5), in more hotels (vs. private homes), spend more ($615 vs $412), and are twice as likely to take group tours (7% vs. 3%).

"Cultural tourism is probably the fastest-growing kind of tourism in this country, because cities are discovering that it's an untapped source of revenue" said Robert Barrett, the former director of the Fresno Art Museum and now director of cultural tourism for Los Angles.

None of the sources describe anything really new for museums but now might just be the time to polish up what we've been doing for representation. According to American for the Arts and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the keys to successful cultural tourism is collaboration which requires:

• Partnering with convention and visitors bureau, economic development agency, Chamber of Comerce, tour bus operators, travel agents, local restrurants, retailers, and sister sites.

• Planning which pinpoints and schedules programs that serve both your needs and those of the tourism industry and makes cultural tourism a priority.

• Process that can ignite enthusiam and be used to develop cultural tourism products tailored to the needs and resources of your community.

• Products that adapt to the specific constraints and unique configuration of experiences which can be offered by you and your partners.

• Principles of authenticity and quality, perservation and protection of resources, sites and situations that come alive, and fit between community and tourism

Cultural tourism has attracted the most energetic partners, including the American Association of Museums, with a long-term committment to a promising economic forecast. The research indicated that the cultural tourists visit:

• art exhibitions and galleries
• folklife and craft centers
• theaters and museums
• downtowns and ethnic neighborhoods
• historic sites and monuments
• architectural and archeological treasures
• festivals and fairs
• national and state parks

If your town is gearing up to receive the cultural tourist, the references below will help. Call Qm² if you'd like to talk about it.

Bibliography:

Americans for the Arts Monographs, Volume 1 Number 1, 927 15th Street NW, 12th floor, Washington DC 20005, January 1997.

Profile of Travelers Who Participate in Historic and Cultural Activites, Travel Industry Association of America, 1100 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005, July 1997.

Pennsylvania Heritage Tourism Initiative, 1994-1997, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1997.

White House Position Paper: Cultural Tourism in America 1996.

Donald Garfield, Editor, Partners in Tourism: Culture and Commerce, American Association of Museums, Washington, DC 1997.

Peggy Wireman, Partnership for Prosperity: Museums and Economic Development, American Association of Museums, 1997.