Cultural tourism is broadly defined as travel focused on engaging with a destination’s heritage, traditions, and way of life. From visiting ancient ruins to exploring traditional crafts, cultural tourism invites travelers to connect meaningfully with the people and the stories of the places they visit.
Definition of Culture
Before diving into the definition of cultural tourism, it may help to first define “culture” – itself a complex definition. A great read is a decade-old piece “The Meaning of Culture.” Written by Joshua Rothman for the New Yorker in 2014, the piece remains relevant today. This was the same year Merriam Webster designated “culture” as their word of the year .
“Culture” may be pulling itself apart from the inside, but it represents, in its way, a wish. The wish is that a group of people might discover, together, a good way of life; that their good way of life might express itself in their habits, institutions, and activities; and that those, in turn, might help individuals flourish in their own ways. – Jonathan Rothman
While the media periodically “discovers” cultural tourism as a “new” trend, it is neither new nor fleeting. What is growing, however, is its importance. Today’s travelers seek experiences that are authentic, personal, and sustainable. Meanwhile communities increasingly take charge of defining how they welcome visitors. This synergy between visitors and host communities underscores the rising significance of cultural tourism in the modern travel landscape.
All cultural tourism providers – which can include tour guides, museums, restaurants, and even artisans – can position themselves as experienced cultural guides by presenting their own “insider” take on on how to best experience the local culture. Imagine an artist sharing their landscape art alongside a map or driving directions to the best photo sites to recapture the spirit of their artwork.
Read More: Why Cultural Tourism Matters
Cultural Tourism is A Bridge
At its core, cultural tourism serves as a bridge that fosters mutual understanding and appreciation between visitors and host communities.
For travelers, cultural tourism offers immersive journeys that go beyond surface-level sightseeing. Instead of merely snapping photos from a tour bus, visitors engage directly with the people who preserve history and shape the ethos of a community.
For communities, cultural tourism provides a platform to share heritage, celebrate cultural pride, and develop economic opportunities for artisans, guides, storytellers, food providers, and other cultural bearers.
For tourism boards, cultural tourism provides a defining and differentiating edge. Highlighting the unique cultural aspects of a destination enables tourism boards to answer the question: What makes our destination truly unique?
The Economic Impact of Cultural Tourism
Cultural tourism is not only a deeply enriching experience but also a powerful economic engine. The World Tourism Organization reports that cultural tourism accounts for up to 40% of all international travel. For local communities, this translates into job creation, economic diversification, and heightened demand for local goods and services.
The Tourism Multiplier Effect
From guided tours to handmade crafts and cultural performances, every element of a cultural tourism experience contributes to economic growth. A key benefit is the tourism multiplier effect, where money spent on cultural tourism stays within the local economy. For instance, visitors attending a heritage festival might dine at local food trucks, stay in independently owned accommodations, and purchase souvenirs crafted by local artisans. This ripple effect strengthens community resilience and reduces reliance on external markets.
Empowering underrepresented groups
Moreover, cultural tourism empowers underrepresented groups, including Indigenous communities, women, and youth. By creating platforms for these groups to share their stories and skills, it fosters entrepreneurship and leadership opportunities. These economic benefits can also help equalize opportunities across regions, allowing more people to thrive locally rather than needing to relocate to urban centers to find work.
Global Perspectives on Cultural Tourism
In the United States, cultural tourism has struggled to gain widespread recognition as a distinct industry. Leading voices include the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) and Americans for the Arts, both focusing on specific facets of the broader cultural tourism narrative—Indigenous communities and arts communities, respectively.
Internationally, cultural tourism has been embraced more comprehensively as a defining strategy. In Asia, nations like China, Korea, and Thailand are at the forefront, while in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai are heavily investing in cultural tourism infrastructure. These regions often elevate cultural tourism to a national priority, supported by ministries of culture that are closely intertwined with their tourism ministries.
How We Experience Culture
Spanning a wide array of experiences, cultural tourism offers unique opportunities for engagement depending on traveler interests and needs.
Culinary Tourism
This subcategory explores local cuisines, blending food with cultural storytelling. For example, travelers may book food tours, participate in cooking classes, or visit regional markets.
Agritourism
Visitors engage with agricultural heritage through activities like olive harvesting in Italy, apple picking with Oneida Nation locals in Wisconsin, or vineyard tours in Napa Valley.
Slow Travel
This approach emphasizes quality over quantity, encouraging travelers to immerse themselves deeply in local traditions and stories rather than rushing through a checklist of landmarks.
Heritage Tourism
Focused on historical sites, architecture, and museums, this subcategory appeals to history enthusiasts who explore destinations with deep histories. In Korea, for example, the Korea Heritage Agency provides a list of heritage tour ideas. In the U.S., more than 900 localities have been designated as Preserve America Communities and many are highlighted in the National Register of Historic Places’ Discover Our Shared Heritage travel itinerary series.
Creative Tourism
A grow subsector of cultural tourism is creative tourism which emphasizes interactive and participatory experiences. Here, travelers might take pottery workshops in Oaxaca, Mexico, or learn traditional weaving in Bhutan. Skift, a U.S. travel trade publication recently published a piece on the growth of Play Tourism. This research, in a partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Qiddya City asserts that travelers no longer want to just witness destinations. They want to participate in them.
Ancestry Tourism
This is a rapidly growing niche, fueled by the increased interest in genealogy through sites like Ancestry.com and 23andMe.com. It involves exploring one’s ancestral roots, often through genealogy tours and visits to homelands.
Cultural tourism, a dynamic hospitality industry sector, blends economic opportunity with cultural preservation. It has the power to transform destinations, create equitable opportunities, and foster deeper connections between travelers and host communities. As this form of travel continues to grow in popularity, its ability to inspire, connect, and sustain will remain at the heart of its enduring appeal.
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