Cultural Tourism

The Missoula Cultural Council (MCC) was formed in February, 1991 as the result of a two year public planning process. A written report, The Fabric of Missoula, provided the basis for the formation of MCC as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. It is a local arts agency -- the first in Montana -- as defined by the National Endowment for the Arts. Soon after its formation, MCC was designated as an official cultural agency for Missoula County and the City of Missoula. These designations underscore the organizational philosophy of service to the community as a whole as expressed in MCC's mission statement:

This is the first region-wide cultural tourism initiative to take place in the East Midlands region and one of only a few in the country. The project was developed by Arts Council East Midlands (ACE EM) to enhance the tourism industry, particularly in rural areas. European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) funding was secured with the aim of increasing investment in areas targeted for regeneration, defined as 'Objective 2 areas', which felt the effects of foot and mouth.

Cultural Tourism DC (CTdc) strengthens the image and economy of Washington, DC, neighborhood by neighborhood, by linking more than 185 DC cultural and neighborhood organizations with partners in tourism, hospitality, government, and business. CTdc offers an innovative model for maximizing the economic impact of cultural tourism in urban neighborhoods and helps residents and tourists discover and experience Washington's authentic arts and culture.

Botswana views Eco-tourism as an enhanced travel package to Botswana's historical, cultural and natural environments, with the aim of enjoying and learning, and in so doing promoting the financial development of the local host communities, whilst sustaining the natural environment and developing the tourist industry. The Department of Tourism thus sees Eco-tourism as minimising the strain and disagreements caused by the complicated interaction between the tourism industry, visitors, the environment and local communities. Botswana National Eco-Tourism Strategy will ensure tourism planning and management aimed at: Minimising negative social, cultural and environmental impacts; Maximising the involvement in, and economic benefits to, host communities; Maximising revenues for re-investment in conservation; Educating both the visitor and the local people as to the importance of conserving natural and cultural resources; and Delivering a quality experience to tourists

Cultural tourism in Tanzania started as a program to help rural communities enjoy the benefit of tourism sector in which they are a part of. The program is the effort and initiatives of the Dutch Development organization know as SNV which has been directly involved in Tanzania's community development programs, especially in the rural areas. The main goal is that rural communities should directly benefit from tourists who visit their areas. Cultural tourism allows local people such as Maasai, Pare, Sambaa, Wa-arusha, Gogo, Nyakyusa and Wazaramo to offer tours that show their culture, their sacred places of worship, economic activities, for example, farming, pastoralism and fishing.

Tourism has grown at an accelerated pace over the last few decades and forecasts indicate an ever faster rate of growth into the new Millenium, with Asia and the Pacific becoming the second most important tourism destination of the world by 2020. One of the pillars of the tourism industry has been mankind's inherent desire to see and learn about the cultural identity of different parts of the world. In domestic tourism, cultural heritage stimulates national pride in one's history. In international tourism, cultural heritage stimulates a respect and understanding of other cultures and, as a consequence, promotes peace and understanding. The Asia-Pacific continent is the most diverse in terms of cultural heritage. It has been the birthplace of all the world's major religions - Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism - and a great many of its minor ones. The interchange of cultures over thousands of years has resulted in some of the best historical monuments and a plethora of religious and cultural mix. Famed for archaeological rarities of immense beauty such as Angkor Wat, Borobudur, the Great Wall, and the Taj Mahal, Asia undoubtedly forms an extremely attractive and diversified tourism product which has something to offer to tourists from all walks of life.