What is Cultural Tourism?

QuickStart Guide to a Tourism Business Updated July 2006

TOWARDS A DEFINITION
The Governments Arts Policy proposed that all art forms and cultural organisations interact with tourism in: the presentation of events, promotions and trade delegations the generation of cultural packages for tourists to Western Australia expressing the identity of Western Australia as a region The Governments Tourism Policy makes similar assertions. It pays particular attention to the presentation of Aboriginal culture, and to the use of Western Australian artists (particularly film makers) in tourism promotions of Western Australia. It commits Government to: Ensure that there is a special arts division within the Western Australian Tourism Commission to bring about a much more aggressive and fruitful link between cultural affairs and tourism. The Creative Nation document describes cultural tourism as .. embracing the full range of experiences visitors can undertake to learn what makes a destination distinctive - its lifestyle, its heritage, its arts, its people - and the business of providing and interpreting that culture to visitors. Given the tendency in Australia for the term heritage to mean European or settlement history, it is important to make specific mention of Aboriginal history and cultural diversity as elements of Australian culture which need to be included in thinking about cultural tourism. The Tasmanian document Strategies for Growth notes that cultural tourism .. covers products which authentically reflect the culture of the destination (eg. lifestyle, heritage and industrial activity) and visitors who seek an understanding of that culture. Tourism destinations are built on things that give a place its own distinctive character and that separate it out from other destinations. These factors are lifestyle, heritage, cultural activities, landscape, flora and fauna. They are the basic tourism product of any destination. Cultural tourism gives visitors the opportunity to understand and appreciate the essential character of a place and its culture as a whole, including its: history and archaeology people and their lifestyle (including the ways in which they earn a living and enjoy their leisure) cultural diversity

What is Cultural Tourism?

arts and architecture food, wine and other local produce social, economic and political structures landscape It gives access to information, experience and activities which can help the visitor feel involved with a place, its people and their heritage. Creating a relationship between the visitor and the host community is an important feature of cultural tourism. Concepts of sustainability, authenticity, integrity and education are as central to cultural tourism as they are to ecotourism. Cultural tourism puts emphasis on the content of what people do when theyre travelling, rather than how they actually get there and where they stay while they are there.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF CULTURAL TOURISM

The following list of some distinguishing features of cultural tourism has been adapted from Cultural Tourism - the Rewarding Experience. Cultural Tourism: builds on and markets cultural strengths emphasises the quality and authenticity of the visitors experience aims not simply to describe, but to convey meaning and understanding of broad contexts needs personal contact and specialist knowledge so that it: meets the visitors demand for knowledge conveys the richness and diversity of a place or culture is active and involving for both visitors and host communities can create new tourism product from people - it does not depend on high levels of new capital investment recognises the dynamic and changing nature of culture develops visitor and site management programs develops interpretation programs designed to inform, educate and interest visitors can minimise the environmental degradation and cultural exploitation which accompany some forms of tourism is carefully targeted to meet the interests of particular market segments

CULTURAL TOURISM ATTRACTIONS

Not all cultural products will be tourist attractions. The ability to attract visitors depends on the extent to which they meet, or are able to meet, the following criteria: perceived quality of the product awareness of being a tourist attraction market awareness of the product

Tourism Western Australia

What is Cultural Tourism?

customer service attitude - provides level of facilities and services that meets the needs of its visitors sustainability extent to which the product is perceived as unique or special extent to which the product is perceived to provide a pleasurable experience and an enjoyable way for customers to spend their leisure time development and presentation to realise this potential community support and involvement management commitment and capability

ENQUIRIES
General enquiries or comments regarding the QuickStart Guide to a Tourism Business or this document What is Cultural Tourism? should be addressed to: Tourism Western Australia Destination Development Coordinator Level 9 2 Mill Street PERTH WA 6000 GPO Box X2261 PERTH WA 6847 Quickstart@westernaustralia.com Tel: 08 9262 1700 Fax: 08 9262 1944 westernaustralia.com

Tourism Western Australia 2006

DISCLAIMER
This document has been prepared by Tourism Western Australia predominantly from information and data gathered in the course of its activities. No person or organisation should act on the basis of any matter contained in this document without considering and, if necessary, taking appropriate professional advice. Neither Tourism Western Australia, nor any of its employees, undertakes responsibility to any person or organisation in respect of this document.

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Tourism Western Australia