Cultural tourism heats up

Cultural tourism continues to be a hot button for destinations eager to attract these more affluent travelers. Figures from the Travel Industry Association of America show:

Ø       Cultural travelers tend to stay longer than average visitors, 5.1 nights instead of 3-4.

Ø       They spend more money, $631 per trip, than average travelers who shell out $457.

Ø       They’re more likely to spend a minimum of $1,000 per trip when they travel.

“They are likely to out to eat and shop. They are likely to spend more money and they’re likely to stay longer,” Tracey Wickersham, director of cultural tourism for Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, told the Puget Sound Business Journal.

Destinations are coming up with creative ways to tap into this market. In Seattle, for example, the Mayflower Park Hotel has been offering a September package in conjunction with an exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Pacific Science Center.

Tickets and rooms are being sold for prices starting at $219.

Cultural destinations have long been popular but in the past decade, more CVB’s have targeted this type of travel.

A key element for successfully drawing more tourists is to set up calendars well in advance of special events that draw culturally inclined visitors, according to CVB officials.

Report by David Wilkening