Summer 2006
Tourism News

Partners in Tourism: Culture and Commerce is a coalition of cultural service organizations, the travel industry, and federal agencies that provides a forum for collaborative research, education, promotion and advocacy with the common goal of advancing the role of culture and heritage in the travel and tourism industry.

8th Cultural & Heritage Tourism Alliance Conference Set
November 8-11, 2006

Culture is the Spark is the theme of the 8th Cultural & Heritage Tourism Alliance Conference set for November 8-11 in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Cultural Heritage Tourism News is published by

© 2005 Partners in Tourism: Culture and Commerce

Editor: Carolyn Brackett

Assistant Editors: Kimber Craine, Verna Romero & Amy Webb

GOT NEWS? Send program updates, new initiatives and case studies to cht@nthp.org

Southern Legislative Conference Publishes Economic Impact Report on Cultural Heritage Tourism

The growing importance of cultural and heritage tourism is recognized in a recent special series report published by the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC). The report, entitled From Blues to Benton to Bluegrass: The Economic Impact of the Arts in the South, cites cultural and heritage tourism as a real factor in improving economies of Southern communities where efforts have been made to capitalize on cultural and heritage resources.

Two prime examples are presented. One example is Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue’s “Soul of the South” initiative that kicked off at the 2005 Southern Governors’ Association meeting, which seeks to increase revenues by capitalizing on the region’s rich cultural heritage. Another example is Louisiana Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu’s efforts to promote Louisiana’s cultural resources in what he describes as a “Cultural Economy Initiative,” using those things Louisiana is famous for—culinary arts, musical entertainment, preservation and various art forms—to leverage growth in the economy.

The SLC’s 137-page report follows a brief summary report published last year, and updates the SLC’s report of the economic impact of the arts published in 2000, entitled More Than a Song and a Dance. These reports have been published with the help of the Southern Arts Federation. Copies may be requested by contacting David Batley at dbatley@southarts.org, or telephone (404) 874-7244, ext. 25. The report is also available in PDF format on the SLC’s Web site, www.slcatlanta.org, clicking on the link for “Publications.”