Culture

Who are we? What makes us that way?

Our culture is the foundation for everything we do, say and believe. Learning about what makes this region tick is the best way to make it better. That's the goal of this system.

Arts and culture enhance our quality of life everyday. As a region, are we doing enough to support this industry? Are we getting good return on our cultural investment? What can traditional centers of culture learn from other areas of our region? We all need to gather around the same table to find out.

By identifying the region's major benefactors and consumers of the arts, we will begin to form a comprehensive regional picture of our culture. How do our cultural amenities compare with our neighbors? What about our place on the national stage? Raising our cultural profile is just one part of building a stronger region.

Facts About Historic/Cultural Travel

- Historic/cultural travelers are slightly older than other U.S. travelers (48 years old vs. 46) and they are more likely to have a post-graduate education (23 percent vs. 20 percent). One-third (34 percent) are 55 or older.

-June, July and August are the most popular months for historic and cultural travel.

- Shopping is part of the trip for 44 percent of historic/cultural travelers, compared to 33 percent of the U.S. travel population. State/national parks, outdoor activities, beaches and theme parks are also popular with historic/cultural travelers.

- Eighteen percent of historic/cultural travelers say they spend more than $1,000 when they travel compared to 12 percent of all travelers.

- Historic/cultural travelers are twice as likely to take a group tour than the average traveler.

 
Source: Travel Industry Association of America