Older Tourists Creating Boom in Heritage Tourism

 Website: http://www.americanpathways.com

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24 -- The U.S. Department of Commerce (USDOC) heralds the boom in cultural heritage tourism as a prime force behind emerging "endless summer" travel trends and says older Americans are leading the charge.

The 46 percent of U.S. travelers who now engage in cultural heritage tourism enjoy more flexible scheduling since they are often older (age 48 vs. 46 years for total travelers, with 1/3 55 or older), more are retirees (18% vs. 15%); and fewer have children in the household (21% have no children vs. 18% of all travelers).  They encourage an "endless summer" in tourism revenue for local economies, too, since they do more (2.5 activities vs.1.8) and travel in couples or large groups (they are more than twice as likely to take group tours, 7% vs. 3%).  Even families benefit from the trend, since many cultural heritage tours offer 1-4 day explorations that enliven and extend the classroom curriculum.

Cultural heritage tours emphasize authenticity and hands-on participation, with richly orchestrated itineraries including historic homes, buildings, and locations; art galleries, theatres, and museums; cultural events, festivals and fairs; ethnic and regional foods and music; ethnic communities; architectural and archeological treasures; and national and state parks. Demand for the tours is growing.  Although demand for traditional summer fare remains high, the latest data show that museums have now eclipsed theme parks in popularity among U.S. travelers, with a record 850,000,000 visits in 1998.

Baby boomers seeking a new level of enrichment from leisure activities fuel the phenomenon, which led USDOC's Office of Tourism Industries to partner with the private sector in creating 101 "American Pathways 2000" tours.  Under five themes, from "Food for the Soul" (ethnic cuisine) to "Lady Liberty," (immigrant journeys), tours cover 48 states.

American Pathways also helps boost local economic development and pride by harvesting existing assets under the management of those who live the cultural connections, including indigenous peoples.  With the benefit of new technology, that harvest is vividly promoted to a worldwide audience via http://www.americanpathways.com.  Visitors to the site enter a theme, state, and month of travel to view pictures and details of matching itineraries.

"The popularity of these tours points to a changing paradigm in our maturing society:  the 'ownership' of cultural assets," says Leslie R. Doggett, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Tourism Industries, USDOC, who initiated the program.  "What used to be a gift from the wealthy is now a prized possession of the grassroots."

Domestic and international cultural heritage tourism generates approximately $164 billion for the U.S. economy annually, contributing to tourism's ascendance to the front ranks of U.S. economic engines.

"More powerful than the sum of its financial or military might, the U.S. succeeds in part because of its wealth of human experience," says Doggett. "National government is put to good use gathering America's stories and driving money into the local economy by making them accessible to the world."