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 2

 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 3