Cultural Tourism

Cultural Tourism is the subset of tourism that is defined as travel directed toward experiencing the traditional and contemporary culture, arts, and special character of a place. This includes the performing, visual and literary arts, language, museums and libraries, heritage, crafts, architecture, design, film and broadcasting.

GREAT LAKES ARTS, CULTURE, AND HERITAGE PARTICIPATION SURVEY September 13, 2007

Cultural Tourism survey findings verify the importance of emphasizing cultural tourism and the great degree to which cultural activities and attractions shape the nature of pleasure trips:

Cultural attractions and programs assigned the greatest importance by all respondents were: gardens, zoos, aquariums, historical attractions, museums, cultural fairs/festivals, and customs and ways of living. Opportunities to purchase products grown locally and agricultural attractions and events were also important factors in selecting pleasure-trip destinations.

Sixty-two percent of all respondents and 64 percent of Michigan respondents took an average of four pleasure trips to destinations more than 50 miles from home during the last 12 months; 52 percent of them visited some type of historical attraction or site during at least one of their pleasure trips, followed by 40 percent who visited a museum and 40 percent who visited a festival; and 18 percent indicated that cultural tourism was the only purpose for their trip.

Michigan respondents were generally more favorable concerning Michigan cultural attractions and programs, suggesting that more effort needs to be invested in highlighting and marketing Michigan arts and culture to other Great Lakes states residents.

83 percent of respondents residing in the other Great Lakes states took a pleasure trip to another state on at least one of their trips compared to 71 percent of Michigan respondents.

Updated 9/13/2007