A PROJECT OF CULTURE-LINK COMMUNICATIONS
Why Heritage Tourism?
Heritage tourism includes much more than visiting a history museum or taking a historic walking tour.
Heritage tourists want to explore the culture, stories, people, and places that make a destination unique. Unfortunately, heritage tourism is often misunderstood, underfunded, and siloed from mainstream destination marketing. That’s where Heritage Tourism Studio comes in.
Explore some of our frequently asked questions:
What is heritage tourism?
Heritage tourism is travel that connects people to the history, culture, and character of a place. Instead of just sightseeing, heritage tourists want to experience a destination. Heritage travelers might: - Explore a scenic byway dotted with small towns and historic sites - Visit museums, battlefields, or restored neighborhoods - Attend festivals, storytelling events, or performances rooted in local culture - Walk a downtown district where the architecture tells a story - Dine in a 19th-century train station or a locally owned farm-to-table bistro - Hike trails that follow the footsteps of those who came before - Sip wine, beer, or spirits crafted by local makers - Grab coffee where the locals gather and swap stories - Stay at a bed & breakfast, boutique inn, or campsite with a sense of place Heritage tourism is immersive, story-driven, and local — it’s what makes a trip truly unforgettable.
Why does heritage tourism matter?
Heritage tourism is a powerful, place-based strategy for driving visitation, increasing sustainability, and strengthening communities. When heritage travelers visit museums, historic sites, cultural districts, and small towns, they’re doing more than just sightseeing — they’re helping sustain the places that tell our shared stories. More visitors to your site means more awareness, more funding opportunities, and more long-term support. But it doesn't stop at the museum door. Heritage travelers tend to explore widely, visiting nearby towns, dining at local restaurants, shopping at independent businesses, attending community events, and often staying overnight. This ripple effect fuels local economies and creates lasting value for residents and businesses alike. Heritage tourism supports: - Economic growth — heritage travelers stay longer, spend more, and visit more places per trip - Site sustainability — increased visitation helps heritage organizations gain visibility, funding, and community support - Community revitalization — heritage travel breathes life into Main Streets, downtowns, and rural towns - Cultural preservation — connecting audiences to stories, traditions, and histories that matter - Deeper engagement — today’s travelers want hands-on, meaningful experiences that help them feel something real As more people seek to unplug from digital life and reconnect with meaning, heritage tourism offers exactly what they’re looking for — authenticity, depth, and a sense of place. And that’s not just good for visitors, it’s good for your community.
Who are heritage tourists?
Heritage tourists are curious, intentional travelers who seek out the history, culture, and character of a place as part of their experience. They’re not just stopping by — they’re exploring, connecting, and learning. Heritage tourists visit museums, historic sites, cultural districts, and scenic byways, but they also eat at local restaurants, stay in B&Bs or boutique hotels, shop in downtowns, attend festivals, and seek out places that feel real. They’re drawn to hands-on, immersive, and story-rich experiences that help them understand a place more deeply. In addition, they often build their trips around those opportunities. This audience is: - Multigenerational — including families, Gen Z travelers, and older adults - Experience-driven — they prioritize authenticity over convenience - High-value — they tend to stay longer, visit more places per trip, and spend more overall - Curious and engaged — they want to feel connected, not just entertained Heritage tourists may not always identify by name, but if someone is choosing a destination because of its history, culture, foodways, or sense of place, they’re engaging in heritage tourism. By understanding what heritage tourists value and how to reach them, your site has the opportunity to become a meaningful part of their journey.
If heritage tourism is popular, why are so many heritage sites struggling?
The answer to this question isn’t simple. Many external forces are affecting heritage sites today, including shrinking federal support and increased competition for funding. But while some challenges are out of your control, the path forward begins with what is within your reach. Most heritage sites are rich in stories, deeply rooted in their communities, and powered by passionate staff and volunteers. What’s missing is alignment: a shared strategy across departments, organizations, and regions to connect with today’s audiences in meaningful ways. And in many cases, the deeper challenge is a lack of capacity — not enough funding, time, or staff to build the systems and strategies that sustainable audience growth requires. Many heritage organizations are working in isolation, stretched thin by small teams, limited budgets, and the day-to-day realities of running a site or program. Strategic marketing often takes a back seat to operational needs, and audience development becomes reactive rather than intentional. Meanwhile, the ways people travel, learn, and connect have changed, but many sites haven’t had the tools, support, or capacity to adapt. As a result, heritage tourism efforts are often: - Underfunded and misunderstood — still seen as niche rather than essential to economic and cultural development - Disconnected and siloed — with little coordination across departments, organizations, or regions - Missing collaboration opportunities — failing to cross-promote with nearby sites, towns, or tourism partners - Out of step with modern audiences — especially younger, more diverse travelers seeking relevance and engagement - Sharing stories in outdated ways — overly institutional or unclear, even when the content is compelling Heritage sites do important work, but too often, they’re invisible to the very people who value them most. At Heritage Tourism Studio, we’re working to change that with practical tools, strategic frameworks, and a fresh approach to audience engagement that helps heritage places connect, collaborate, and thrive.
How is Heritage Tourism Studio helping heritage organizations?
I believe that heritage tourism is more that just a demographic niche — it can be a driving force for local impact, economic growth, and meaningful connection. But that only happens when sites are equipped with the strategy, tools, and knowledge to reach the audiences who are looking for them. At Heritage Tourism Studio, I help organizations: - Attract and retain diverse, curious, values-driven audiences seeking meaningful, hands-on experiences - Collaborate and connect across sectors and silos to share the work, expand visibility, and tell more complete regional stories - Craft and deliver messaging that resonates — clear, relevant, and emotionally engaging to the people you want to reach - Build and maintain smart, sustainable systems that support consistent outreach, deeper engagement, and long-term growth Whether you're just starting to focus on audience growth or ready to take your efforts to the next level, Heritage Tourism Studio offers: - Free tools and templates to help you get started with clarity and confidence - Short trainings to build practical skills and sustainable systems - Consulting and strategy sessions for tailored, big-picture support - Ongoing research and field experiments that surface what’s working — and explore new ideas with the people doing the work You don’t have to do this alone, and you don’t have to guess at what works. HTS is called a studio for a reason: it’s where strategy meets creativity, and ideas are put into action. Explore the free tools, join a training, or get in touch to start building something that works. [Read the Blog] [Join the Email List] [Explore Trainings] [Work With Me] Whether you're a solo staffer wearing too many hats or part of a larger organization ready to sharpen your outreach, Heritage Tourism Studio is here to help you grow your audience, collaborate more effectively, and tell stories that resonate. If you care about place, purpose, and people, you’re in the right place.
Who is Heritage Tourism Studio for?
Heritage Tourism Studio is for museums, historic sites, heritage areas, byways, cultural districts, and any place working to connect people to the stories, culture, and character of their community. Whether you're a solo staffer wearing too many hats or part of a larger organization ready to sharpen your outreach, Heritage Tourism Studio is here to help you grow your audience, collaborate more effectively, and tell stories that resonate. If you care about place, purpose, and people, you’re in the right place.
Who runs Heritage Tourism Studio?
Heritage Tourism Studio is led by Heidi Glatfelter Schlag, a strategic communicator with two decades of experience in nonprofit marketing, heritage tourism, and place-based storytelling. HTS is a project of Culture-Link Communications, the consulting practice she founded to support mission-driven organizations. Read Heidi's full bio here.