Tourism of Past Part of NW Arkansas’ Future (Paul Justus Market Forecast)

When it comes to developing a diversified and balanced economy in Northwest Arkansas, the importance of heritage tourism should not be overlooked. Heritage tourism can play a key role not only in increasing tourist dollars for a region’s economy, but also in providing educational opportunities and incentive to preserve cultural and natural treasures.
Although there is no one definition for heritage tourism, it generally denotes travel to places for the purpose of visiting historic, cultural, and natural attractions to learn more about the past in an enjoyable way.
Heritage tourist destinations include museums, historic buildings, bridges, battlefield sites, cemeteries, monuments, trails, local and national parks, natural landscapes and other resources inherited from the past that help illustrate history.
The list of such tourist destinations is long. Indeed, at the end of 2005, the National Register of Historic Places included approximately 79,000 entries, up from 1,200 in 1968.
Numerous studies and other sources of information indicate that heritage tourism plays an important role in local, state and national economies.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a non-profit organization devoted to protecting historic places, points out that, “In 2004, travel and tourism directly contributed $600 billion to the U.S. economy. Travel and tourism directly employs more than 7.3 million people and creates a payroll income of $162 billion and tax revenues of $100 billion for federal, state and local governments.”
The National Trust for Historic Preservation cites a study by the Travel Industry Association of America revealing that:
About 118 million U.S. adults who traveled in 2002 were considered cultural heritage travelers.
These travelers included historical or cultural activities on almost 217 million person-trips, up 13 percent from 192 million in 1996.
Visitors to historic sites and cultural attractions stay longer and spend more money than other kinds of tourists.
Cultural and heritage visitors spend, on average, $623 per trip compared to $457 for all U.S. travelers excluding the cost of transportation.
30 percent of cultural heritage travelers report that their destination choice was influenced by a specific historic or cultural event or activity.
On the state level, according to information from the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, a two-year study by the Center for Urban Policy Research at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers found that heritage tourism makes a substantial contribution to the Arkansas economy.
According to the study, heritage tourists, defined as those tourists who visit a site of historical or cultural value:
Comprise about 16 percent of all Arkansas tourists.
Spend about 30 percent more than the average tourist.
Are more likely to come from out of state, adding new dollars to Arkansas’ economy.
Furthermore, heritage tourism:
Generates $890.6 million in Arkansas each year.
Supports 21,552 Arkansas jobs yearly.
Adds $318.8 million to the yearly income of Arkansas families.
Generates $73.8 million in state and local tax revenue each year.
In Northwest Arkansas, according to the latest figures from the Arkansas Department of Tourism, Benton and Washington County tourism measured in travel expenditures, has increased approximately 35 and 31 percent respectively for the two counties between the years 2000 to 2005.
Given efforts by local historical preservationists, we suggest that some of this increase could be attributed to an increase in cultural heritage travel.
Although there are numerous success stories of heritage preservationist activities in Northwest Arkansas, one particular example is the work of the Heritage Trail Partners.
Founded in the fall of 2002, Heritage Trail Partners adopted the mission to “promote and support the design, development, preservation and advancement of the Heritage Trail in western Arkansas.”
The Heritage Trail, a trail that follows the historic path of the old Butterfield Coach route, Civil War movements, and movement of the Cherokee Indians as part of the Trail of Tears, was officially established as a regional trail as part of the 2025 Long Range Transportation Plan.
The Heritage Trail Partners, which holds an annual stagecoach ride reenactment, has achieved numerous accomplishments including:
84 Heritage Trail signs were placed in Rogers, Springdale, Fayetteville, Lowell and Pea Ridge. Approval was granted from the Arkansas Highway department and district engineer offices.
Congressman John Boozman introduced legislation (HB 5980) for a resource study along the “Ox-Bow Route” of the Butterfield Overland Trail in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
A $25,000 grant was received from the Arkansas Parks and Tourism Commission.
Dedication of signs at Head’s Crossing held May 3, 2006. Wayside exhibits were partially funded by a grant from the Arkansas Humanities Council.
A brochure of the Butterfield Trail through Benton, Washington, Crawford and Sebastian counties was printed by the Fayetteville A & P Commission, and 20,000 copies were printed and distributed through Museums, Chambers of Commerce throughout the region.
Currently, Boozman’s staff is working on legislation to have the Butterfield Trail route designated as a National Historic Long-distance Trail. With these efforts contributing to an improved Heritage Trail, visitors to the area have more opportunities to explore, spend time and, of course, money.
With all the apparent benefits of heritage tourism, there are a few matters of caution as pointed out by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. A community that relies heavily on heritage tourism must protect their valuable heritage resources. Such communities must ensure that increased visitations do not damage or destroy the very things that attract tourists in the first place.
Furthermore, even though the tourist industry is considered a “clean” industry relative to potentially dangerous chemical plants and the like, it does increase the need for more roads, airports, water supplies and other public services such as police.
As such, it is important that planners and public officials work with the tourist industry to balance the needs of residents and visitors, to work for quality and authenticity and to preserve and protect the often-irreplaceable cultural, historic and natural resources.