What is it?
Cultural Heritage refers to the ways of living that a community has developed which are inherited from previous generations.
Cultural heritage includes tangible and physical culture (e.g. places and objects), such as historical buildings, landmarks, and artwork.
It also includes intangible and abstract culture, such as ways of living, customs, traditions, practices, and values.
Tourists are increasingly interested in cultural experiences and heritage (often called Cultural Tourism), and, as such, tourism businesses are key actors in ensuring sustainable cultural heritage.
DEFINITION
Cultural Tourism
A type of tourism activity in which the visitor’s essential motivation is to learn, discover, experience and consume the cultural attractions and products in a tourism destination. Examples include arts and architecture, culinary heritage, literature, and music.
Why is it important?
There are many reasons why, as a tourism business, you should help with preserving, and contributing towards improving, your area’s cultural heritage.
Cultural heritage is key for many tourism businesses. Without it, many tourists would not visit an area. In fact, recent research shows that over 50% of travellers considered history and culture to be strong influences on their choice of destination.
Tourists focussed on culture and heritage also tend to stay longer and spend more money than other tourists do, with one study showing they spent as much as 38% more and stayed 22% longer.
While it encourages tourists to visit and stay in an area, well-supported and well-funded cultural heritage businesses also:
✓ support jobs, businesses, events, and attractions, diversifying the local economy
✓ contribute to a community’s image and pride
✓ promote the preservation of traditions, customs, and culture
✓ Help to build relationships among local communities
Cultural heritage makes your local area a better place to live and work.
How can I improve it in my business?
Four top tips that you can implement in your business to improve the impact you have on culture and heritage are presented below.
Engage with cultural heritage networks
Reach out to cultural heritage networks to establish links with them. Many can provide you with more information and promotional material which you can use to advertise culture and heritage sites to customers. Examples of cultural heritage networks include:
Donate to cultural heritage sites
Donate money to cultural heritage sites to support their upkeep. This could be an ad-hoc donation made whenever your business can. Alternatively, take it one step further and commit to donating a percentage of yearly profits to heritage sites.
Advertise cultural heritage activities and attractions in your area by promoting them to customers. Each area of Lincolnshire is unique so find what bits of culture and heritage make your area special.
For example, in The Wolds AONB there are deserted medieval settlements which you could encourage customers to explore. Other examples include old market towns, museums and galleries, traditional local events, and even traditional cuisine.
Give time to cultural heritage sites
Encourage staff to volunteer at local culture and heritage sites. Many businesses offer staff two days a year to spend volunteering at a charity of their choice while receiving full pay.
Alternatively, go one step further and organise a business-wide volunteering day (or multiple days if you have many staff or can’t afford to close the business for a day). Enquire at cultural and heritage sites to find out whether any need volunteer help and arrange for members of your team to attend.
Promote culture and heritage activities to customers
Advertise cultural heritage activities and attractions in your area by promoting them to customers. Each area of Lincolnshire is unique so find what bits of culture and heritage make your area special.
For example, in The Wolds AONB there are deserted medieval settlements which you could encourage customers to explore. Other examples include old market towns, museums and galleries, traditional local events, and even traditional cuisine.
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Cultural heritage charity review
Lincolnshire has a rich history and is full of unique cultural and heritage attractions and activities, from Viking ruins and ancient buildings to local artwork and traditional crafts. As these are a huge draw for tourists, supporting cultural heritage charities offers businesses the chance to preserve and maintain culture and heritage, give back to the local area, and help the local tourism industry thrive.
A case study – St. Marks
Who is St. Marks?
St. Marks is a shopping centre, which covers around 37,000m2, is located in the heart of Lincoln and partially housed in the original St. Marks railway station.
What is the business doing?
St. Marks aims to celebrate the cultural heritage of its buildings and surrounding area as a transport heritage site. It has previously hosted exhibitions in the original station building, showcasing historical items to the public. The space has also been used by various local heritage groups for pop-up activities. When the site was expanded, the traditional design was incorporated into the new buildings.
What can my business do?
St. Marks aims to celebrate the cultural heritage of its buildings and surrounding area as a transport heritage site. It has previously hosted exhibitions in the original station building, showcasing historical items to the public. The space has also been used by various local heritage groups for pop-up activities. When the site was expanded, the traditional design was incorporated into the new buildings.
“We are proud to be part of Lincoln’s rich history and seek opportunities to not only tell people about our history, but give them the opportunity to experience the old train station.”
Val Johnson, Centre Manager.
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