CONTACT:

Sheila Armstrong
Executive Director
US Cultural & Heritage Tourism
Marketing Council
Office:
(843) 341-6392
Click Here to E-Mail
USCHT Marketing
Council Website
www.uscht.com

USCHT Marketing Website
culturetoursandmore.com

Initiatives from State Delegations

U.S. Cultural & Heritage Tourism Summit
Friday, October 7, 2005
Washington, DC

Alabama

•Ask Governor to create a statewide advocacy committee on cultural and heritage tourism
•Further develop awareness of cultural and heritage tourism resources
•Do more research to glean economic impact of cultural and heritage tourism on state’s economy
•Develop more cooperatives with arts/historic/cultural organizations for broader tourism reach

Alaska

•Hold a meeting with arts and travel association/council directors to share Summit results
•Develop an Alaska rural tourism program that integrates the arts
•Promote cultural and heritage tourism itineraries
•Reinstate Alaska cultural and heritage tourism summit
•Add “culture host” component to hospitality training program

Arizona

•Convene to form a cultural and heritage tourism coalition
•Expand local festival schedule
•Expand ArizonaHeritage.org website to include more arts, culture and tourism listings

Arkansas

•Send tourism representatives to arts meetings and municipal meetings
•Get architecture and other specialty schools involved in cultural and heritage tourism development
•Implement cultural and heritage tourism programming (such as signage, wayfinding, etc.) with various state agencies

California

•Build on state’s cultural and heritage tourism summit with regional meetings on the subject
•The state’s 2nd cultural and heritage tourism summit will be held in April 2006 – invite broader and more participation
•Report Summit findings to Governor’s office and to California’s Congressional delegation

Colorado

•Seek cross-agency dialog/agreement on how state agencies can help at local level
•Ensure specific action steps on new heritage plan
•Establish public/private leadership team to help move cultural and heritage tourism forward

Connecticut

•Organize cultural and heritage tourism assets to market and promote
•Challenge private sector to help develop cultural and heritage tourism programs
•Develop multi-state cultural heritage tourism trails

Delaware

•Strengthen collaboration of cultural and heritage tourism groups to form a cultural and heritage tourism alliance
•Increase public stewardship of cultural and heritage tourism resources
•Increase signage
•Add cultural and heritage tourism to the Governor’s Conference agenda
•Develop cultural and heritage tourism attractions to showcase the state

District of Columbia

•Enhance local partnerships
•Build on cultural and heritage tourism trails program
•Implement a cultural and heritage tourism marketing plan

Florida

•Expand visitor interest to cultural and heritage tourism sites
•Improve access to resources for all cultural and heritage tourism entities
•Develop Internet, signs and trails
•Get cultural and heritage tourism practitioners to work more closely together
•Work with Visit FLA
•Establish statewide archaeology centers around the state
•Incorporate cultural and heritage tourism into tourism mix

Georgia

•Develop a single message for all components of the travel and tourism industry, including cultural and heritage tourism
•Build a strategic understanding for all components of the travel and tourism industry BY all components of the travel and tourism industry, including cultural and heritage tourism entities
•Become customer-centric

Hawaii

•Create more formal cultural and heritage tourism network and communications
•Dedicate financial resources year ‘round for cultural and heritage tourism events
•Separate cultural and heritage tourism from the state’s tourism marketing plan to highlight that industry segment

Idaho

•Convene cultural and heritage tourism agencies
•Create an executive summary of this conference
•Create action steps at the upcoming Governor’s Conference

Illinois

•Expand interagency tourism council
•Convene African American Heritage summit
•Provide greater Internet access on state tourism site for cultural and heritage tourism entities

Indiana

•Create a cultural and heritage tourism task force
•Coordinate with Indiana University to create a cultural and heritage tourism conference
•Develop cultural and heritage trails

Iowa

•Continue “Iowa, Great Places” initiative
•Organize an advocacy effort
•Have state agencies work together to enhance the three pilot places selected for the “Iowa, Great Places” initiative
•Pass a resolution to focus on specific regions for the “Iowa, Great Places” initiative – WPA bureaus, river trails, etc.

Kansas

•Host a cultural and heritage tourism conference and encourage private sector participation
•Develop integrated tourism plan as outlined by Senator Nick Jordan

Kentucky

•Promote action-based partnerships among state and local entities
•Incorporate cultural and heritage tourism in newer state initiatives
•Coordinate local cultural and heritage tourism entities for broader messaging

Louisiana

•Lt. Governor has established a plan on creative economy – implement it
•Cultural and heritage tourism development among regions of state
•Federal/state/local alliance to help rebuild the Gulf Coast

Maine

•Expand interstate and international product availability
•Enhance connections among tourism partners
•Enhance trails program

Maryland

•Convene statewide cultural and heritage tourism summit
•Consider regional (across state lines) collaboration for further enhancement/development of cultural and heritage tourism

Massachusetts

•Continue Summit discussion and create state white papers
•Report to Governor and raise awareness of cultural and heritage tourism in policy and improvements in state (i.e. signage)
•Product development – identify best practices and local examples to expand product offerings available in MA

Michigan

•Continue to develop and implement cultural and historic locations on-line
•Further the state’s cluster model development
•Develop marketing plan for cultural and heritage tourism products

Minnesota

•Host workshops on cultural and heritage tourism in Spring 2006
•Arts/heritage organizations hold bi-annual meetings with tourism related organizations
•Build audience for hosting a cultural and heritage tourism summit

Mississippi

•Develop arts council/state tourism office cross-training session
•Develop and host familiarization tours for legislators
•Add cultural and heritage tourism sessions to the annual conference on tourism

Montana

•Establish a cultural and heritage tourism alliance on 11/7 at the CVB/tourism regions meeting
•Look for creative but stable funding for cultural and heritage tourism
•Work with local/state elected officials to get them better educated about cultural and heritage tourism

New Hampshire

•Work with the New Hampshire Travel Council, CVBs and the Commissioner of Cultural Resources to expand integration of efforts
•Support NH Business Council to put in creative economy to the New England Council
•Cooperate with other New England states to highlight cultural and heritage tourism

New Jersey

•Develop statewide cultural and heritage tourism plan
•Provide money and technical support for local cultural and heritage tourism sites
•Strengthen/broaden reach of state tourism office and regional entities

New Mexico

•Partnership with state and local entities
•Improve signage
•Establish statewide cultural and heritage tourism alliance

New York

•“Blow up” and restart the communications strategy and network within the state
•Reinvigorate the Governor’s Conference for research and educational training

North Carolina

•Revolutionize Governor’s Conference to include arts
•Resurrect awards program in state to recognize various cultural and heritage tourism programs
•Expand trail development and cultural leadership for African American travel

North Dakota

•Add cultural and heritage tourism to the annual tourism conference
•Expand Lewis & Clark trails to showcase cultural and heritage tourism
•Form a cultural and heritage tourism alliance
•Further research on the economic impact of cultural and heritage tourism to the state’s economy

Ohio

•Ohio Arts Council will convene a cultural and heritage tourism meeting with the Ohio Humanities Council
•Prioritize cultural and heritage tourism assets for inventory and focus
•Work with Ohio Tourism Division to develop a cultural and heritage tourism marketing plan
•Write a position paper for local economic development agencies to educate them on the financial value of cultural and heritage tourism

Oklahoma

•Hire an Oklahoma cultural and heritage tourism coordinator/manager to put emphasis on cultural and heritage tourism across the state
•Develop cultural and heritage tourism partners group to unify and propel cultural and heritage tourism
•Continue to work to knock down barriers between all agencies

Oregon

•Organize a statewide meeting with arts and culture focusing on database development for travel and the arts

Pennsylvania

•Develop product marketing tools and methodology for measuring return on investment (ROI)
•Further develop current initiatives:
•Civil War and Underground Railroad
•Fairs and Festivals
•Reunions and Family Gatherings

Rhode Island

•Build stronger network of enthusiasts for cultural and heritage tourism
•Work to increase funding for tourism
•Do a radical review of current process of tourism marketing/delivery to ensure best use of funds/effort

South Carolina

•Pull together all agencies for strategic planning
•Encourage Governor to concentrate on cultural and heritage tourism at the next Governor’s Conference on Travel and Tourism

Tennessee

•Encourage partnerships
•Inform industry of the Summit
•Work with media/PR to get the word out about cultural and heritage tourism

Texas

•Establish cultural and heritage tourism as a priority in the state of Texas
•Broaden the Texas Travel Industry Association to include a working group of arts and cultural organizations
•Develop a statewide plan with objectives and action steps

U.S. Virgin Islands

•Maintain partnerships for cultural and heritage tourism plan to be developed and implemented by 2007
•Expand the trails program throughout the islands

Utah

•Encourage the creation/single designation of cultural and heritage tourism products
•Develop a smorgasbord of cultural and heritage tourism opportunities for travelers to select
•Develop a systematic inventory of resources statewide

Vermont

•Centralize for one budget of all cultural and heritage tourism entities
•Develop more accurate ROI (return on investment) on cultural and heritage tourism organizations
•Develop a statewide conference on cultural and heritage tourism

Washington

•Provide cultural and heritage tourism materials for Governor’s edification and use
•Increase state legislature’s funding of cultural and heritage tourism
•Strengthen agency participation
•Document ROI for cultural and heritage tourism

West Virginia

•Survey all cultural and heritage tourism assets to create an inventory resource
•Develop partnership with Division of Tourism and economic development office to advocate for cultural and heritage tourism support
•Identify new markets with cultural and heritage product/package for marketing

Wyoming

•Educate the state’s decision makers about cultural and heritage tourism and its importance in economic development
•Assess state designations to ensure their viability
•Increase product development for cultural and heritage tourism entities
•Develop county-wide kiosk program to assess what each county wants to do in their area regarding cultural and heritage tourism development