Brief by Central Staff
Tourism – December 2005 – Colorado Central Magazine
For the past couple of years, Chaffee County has been promoting itself as the “Headwaters of Adventure” for tourists. But the local tourist industry might make more money with another catchphrase, one that promotes “Heritage Tourism” rather than “Adventure Tourism.”
At least, that’s what emerges from The Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation, a study prepared for the Colorado Historical Foundation. It provides a 2005 update to a 2002 report, and it’s available at www.cohf.org.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation defines “cultural heritage tourism” as “traveling to experience the places, artifacts, and activities that authentically represent the stores and people of the past and present. It includes cultural, historic, and natural resources.”
The Colorado report cites 2002 research by the Travel Industry of America, which says that “heritage and cultural travelers consistently stay longer and spend more money than other types of U.S. travelers.”
Heritage travelers spend on average $623 per trip, compared to $475 for other travelers, and they stay out for 5.2 nights rather than the average 3.4. Spending for heritage travel rose 17% from 1996 to 2002.
As for Colorado, our “heritage tourists were much more likely to stay in commercial lodging than other vacationers. They were much more likely to visit a national or state park, to watch birds and other wildlife, and to visit a museum than other vacationers. They were also more interested in unique local food and hiking than other tourists.”
So is a change in marketing in order? That’s not our field of expertise (if it were, Colorado Central would be big, slick, and profitable), but we like the idea of a balanced approach. After all, if this area were totally devoted to heritage tourism, it could get pretty stodgy, and if it were all aimed at adventure tourism, local culture could become rather shallow. Anybody have a marketing slogan that could encourage both?
