Partners in Tourism is a coalition of national associations and federal agencies building a common agenda for cultural tourism. Representing a broad spectrum of arts, humanities, tourism and heritage organizations, as well as federal agencies, the partners' purpose is to advance the role of culture and heritage in national, state and local travel and tourism policies and practices. This national coalition, formed in 1996, has been a catalyst for and a leader in culture and heritage tourism.

HIGHLIGHTS OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Five regional cultural tourism forums sponsored with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, 1996-97
• Partners in Tourism, Culture and Commerce published in 1997
• Research forum convened, National Endowment for the Arts, 1998
• Chicago Leadership Forum, 1998
• Research surveys released, 1998 and 2001
• Share Your Heritage Initiative, 2000-
  
  • Publication: Share Your Heritage: Cultural Heritage Tourism Success Stories
  • Publication: Stories Across America: Opportunities in Rural Tourism
  • Workshops: First national meeting of state cultural and heritage tourism professionals, 2002; ongoing workshops in cultural heritage tourism
• Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Cultural Development Initiative, led by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
  • Lewis & Clark Bicentennial ArtsPlan, 2002
  • Lewis & Clark ArtsCorps Residency, 2003-2004

• White paper on cultural tourism published -- its goals were incorporated into final report of White House Conference on Travel & Tourism, 1995
• Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) issued first research report on impact of cultural tourism, 1997; TIA incorporated cultural tourism as a sector in its annual report to the field
• Cultural tourism positions established at local convention and visitors bureaus, in state agencies and regionally for the first time
• Cultural & Heritage Tourism Alliance formed, 1998
• Partners in Tourism and TIA published groundbreaking research on cultural travelers, 1998

The federal cultural agencies -- Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) -- have provided both leadership and support for Partners in Tourism. In fact, PCAH convened the original members of Partners to craft the white paper on cultural tourism for the 1995 White House Travel and Tourism Conference. The NEA helped enact the vision of this white paper with its support of subsequent regional forums. The current initiatives of these cultural agencies are in part an outgrowth of the vision of Partners and are empowered through collaborations between its member organizations.

NATIONAL LEADERSHIP PROJECTS AND GRANT PROGRAMS

• Share Your Heritage -- NEA, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, National Trust for Historic Preservation
• Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Cultural Development Initiative -- NEA, NASAA
• Arts and Rural Community Assistance Initiative -- NEA, U.S. Forest Service
• America's Historic Places -- NEH
• Museums for America -- IMLS
• Preserve America -- ACHP

• Alliance of National Heritage Areas
• American Association of Museums* (inactive)
• Americans for the Arts*
• Cultural & Heritage Tourism Alliance
• Federation of State Humanities Council*
• National Assembly of State Arts Agencies*
• National Association of African American Heritage Preservation* (inactive)
• National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers*
• National Geographic Society
• National Trust for Historic Preservation*
• Travel Industry Association of America -- Tourism Works for America

• Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
• National Endowment for the Arts*
• National Endowment for the Humanities*
• Institute of Museum and Library Services*
• President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities*
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • U.S. Forest Service
  • National Alternative Enterprise & Agritourism
• U.S. Department of Interior
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service