Heritage tourism has recently emerged as a promising vehicle for economic development for many communities across the country and around the world. While tourists have always been attracted to destinations for their interesting culture and history, destination managers today from the American heartland, to Norwegian fishing villages, to bustling international urban centers-are actively seeking ways to package their destination's cultural heritage in new and innovative ways. This course will help to better understand the motivations and expectations of this breed of tourist, and how they differ from the mainstream vacationer. Students will learn how to inventory and evaluate a destination's cultural and historic resources and attractions and creatively incorporate them into a comprehensive tourism promotion strategy that will address the visitors' unique expectations.

Using examples of successful cultural heritage tourism promotion efforts from around the world, the course will address how to work more effectively with representatives from the arts, academe, government, and non-profit sectors to create a cohesive and unforgettable "product" that will keep visitors coming back year after year. As part of this "product" students will learn how to preserve the integrity and authenticity of resources, and how to better inform, entertain, and educate the tourist about a unique attractions. Students will learn how to best capitalize on special cultural and historic qualities in marketing events and literature, and how to better reach the target market. Finally, participants will learn to prevent the degradation of cultural and historic sites that could result from increased tourism, and to help local residents appreciate and celebrate their own cultural heritage.
For more information, contact Professor Spivack at (202) 994-7047.

Instructor: Sharr Prohaska, Sheryl Spivack Where: PHIL T-108 When: June 10 - 14, 1996 9:00am-5:00pm

Syllabus:
The market for cultural heritage tourism

Assessing your destination's cultural heritage resources

Developing (and refining) your strategic plan

Finding and securing funding

Managing your sites for sustainable tourism

"Creating a marketable product": What we can learn from case studies

How to improve your marketing efforts

How to comply with and benefit from state and national legislation