Remarks by J. Glenn Eugster
Office of Regional Operations
& State-Local Relations
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Washington, D.C.
202-260-4723
I. TOURISM
WHAT IS IT?
DEFINITIONS OF HERITAGE TOURISM:
JEFF SOULE OF THE AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION DESCRIBES IT AS;
· "RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL TO NATURAL AND CULTURAL AREAS WHICH CONSERVES THE ENVIRONMENT AND IMPROVES THE WELFARE OF LOCAL PEOPLE".
ECOTOURISM---EPA’S OFFICE OF SUSTAINABLE ECOSYSTEMS AND COMMUNITIES DEFINES ECOTOURISM AS “TRAVEL AND RECREATION TO NATURAL AREAS THAT IS DESIGNED TO CONTRIBUTE SUBSTANTIALLY TO THOSE AREAS’ CONSERVATION AND ENHANCEMENT, THROUGH EDUCATION AND THE DEDICATION OF TOURISM DOLLARS TO PROTECT NATURAL RESOURCES”.
II. PRINCIPLES OF HERITAGE TOURISM--A DIFFERENT TYPE OF TOURISM:
(CHART--1)
* INTEREST IN LIFESTYLE: HERITAGE TOURISM EMPHASIZES UNDERSTANDING THE LINKAGES AND INTERACTIONS BETWEEN PHYSICAL FEATURES , BIOLOGICAL FEATURES , AND CULTURAL FEATURES.
* OFFERINGS OF A COMMUNITY: HERITAGE TOURISM RECOGNIZES COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND THE PAST AND USES THESE THINGS TO SHAPE HOW A COMMUNITY COMMUNICATES ITS IDENTITY. TYPICALLY THEMES, "PLACE-ROOTED" IMAGES, ARE USED TO SPEAK TO PEOPLE AND COMMUNICATE THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE SENSE OF THE LOCALITY OR REGION AS A SPECIAL PLACE.
* RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL: HERITAGE TOURISM OFTEN PROVIDES FOR A CULTURAL EXCHANGE WHICH GOES BEYOND PAST LOCAL-VISITOR INTERACTIONS. CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITIES AND VISITORS TO HAVE A HIGH QUALITY EXPERIENCE.
* CONSERVES ENVIRONMENT & IMPROVES LOCAL WELFARE: HERITAGE TOURISM RECOGNIZES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ECOLOGICAL, COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC VALUES AND STRIVES TO ACHIEVE ALL THREE OBJECTIVES SIMULTANEOUSLY. IT ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO PROTECT AND PROSPER.
* ENCOUNTER WITH BROAD & DIVERSE TRADITIONS: VISITORS ARE INTERESTED IN SEEING AUTHENTIC TRADITIONS OF LAND AND WATER DEVELOPMENT, MANAGEMENT AND USE DIFFERENT FROM THEIR OWN. IT PLACES VALUE ON COMMUNITIES AND GEOGRAPHIC AREAS AS "LIVING LANDSCAPES" WHERE PEOPLE LIVE, WORK, AND VISIT.
* EMPHASIZES REGIONAL/ COMMUNITY PLACE-BASED PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COMPREHENSIVE, INTEGRATED COOPERATIVE EFFORTS: THE MOST SUCCESSFUL EFFORTS HAVE COME FROM COMMUNITY/ REGIONAL EFFORTS WITH STATE, FEDERAL AND PRIVATE ASSISTANCE. IT IS AN APPROACH WHICH EMBODIES THE NOTION OF "HELPING PEOPLE HELP THEMSELVES".
III. HOW DOES TOURISM WORK?
(CHART 2)
IT'S A COMMUNITY PROCESS, AS WELL AS A PLACE-BASED EFFORT!
HERITAGE AREAS:
EFFORTS ARE TYPICALLY REFERRED TO AS "HERITAGE AREAS"----WHICH ARE REGIONALLY IDENTIFIABLE AND SIGNIFICANT LANDSCAPES THAT ARE THE FOCUS OF COOPERATIVE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE DECISION-MAKING EFFORTS TO RECOGNIZE, ORGANIZE, AND COMMUNICATE A COMMUNITY'S NATURAL, CULTURAL, RECREATIONAL, AND ECONOMIC ATTRIBUTES TO PROTECT IMPORTANT VALUES, STIMULATE THE LOCAL ECONOMY, AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE".
HERITAGE AREA PLANNING STEPS
Assumptions:
* The process must be locally led, open to the public, objective and inclusive.
* All partners are equally important.
* All environmental, community and economic values must be recognized.
* The process must be consensus-based and agreement should be secured at the beginning, and at every major decision-making point in the process.
* Recognize and build upon existing traditions of stewardship, partnerships, consensus building and community initiative.
* Ultimately local governments make local decisions. All heritage is local.
* Typically a locally appointed Steering Committee will lead the effort and local coordinators and State government assistance will be required.
* There must be balanced private sector and government involvement.
IV. PROCESS STEPS:
(CHART 3)
1. Identify, Understand and Characterize Resource Values (e.g. What are the natural, historic, cultural, recreational, tourism, economic, and other values which are important to the area? )
2. Describe the Goals & Objectives of All Interests (e.g.. Goals for community, heritage preservation, conservation, environment, economy, and tourism; What will this effort do for us? What do we want the plan to do for us? What are the goals of the plan?)
3. Identify and Assess the Needs, Concerns and Issues (e.g.. What local needs, concerns or problems need to be resolved or addressed?)
4. Refine Goals & Objectives and Establish Measures of Success(e.g. What are the measures of progress?)
5. Consider All Alternatives (e.g. How can values be protected or promoted, issues be resolved, and goals be achieved? What ideas do people have? What programs, tools, techniques, laws, and approaches are available?)
6. Select Actions (e.g.. What actions need to be taken? Who will take the action? How will the action be taken? When will the action be taken? Actions should protect/ promote values; achieve goals; resolve issues; consider appropriate alternatives; and reflect public attitudes; Identify short and long-term actions.)
7. Take Action (e.g. Short and long-term actions)
8. Document, Publicize & Celebrate Results (e.g. Track your progress and publicize results)
9. Evaluate Progress and Refine Strategy (e.g. Periodically refine the strategy based on what you learn and current conditions)
V. A TOURISM APPROACH INCLUDES:
* HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE---EMPHASIZES SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT/ SUSTAINABILITY (CHART 4)
Meeting the needs of the present without compromising those of future generations (see: Northampton County, Virginia Sustainable Development Plan, including Port of Cape Charles, Ecological Industrial Park)
* RECOGNITION OF HUMAN VALUE--INCLUDES HUMAN ECOLOGY; PEOPLE’S ROLE IN THE LAND--PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE; (SLIDE 2--Timber Working Landscape)
Working landscapes (see: Original Florida; Proposal for Ocean Heritage Highway--Route 13 & 17; Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Comprehensive Plan)
Events---Describe who we are to others and ourselves ( see: St. Mary's County, Maryland Oyster Festival; Scranton, Pennsylvania Italian Festival)
* IMPORTANT ECOTOURISM VALUES: SIGNIFICANCE
PERSONAL VALUES (SLIDE 3--Ned Fritz, Trinity River Swamp, Dallas, TX--Annual Buckeye Walk),
COMMUNITY VALUES (SLIDE 4 -- Lehigh Gorge)
REGIONAL VALUES (SLIDE 5 -- Havre de Grace Heritage Corridor, Maryland--First window on the Chesapeake Bay)
NATIONAL VALUES (SLIDE 6 --South Carolina National Heritage Corridor )
* AN AGREED UPON VISION--EVOCATIVE INSPIRATION OF THE LAND, WATER AND IT’S PEOPLE
Great Egg Harbor River, New Jersey--(Visit by John James Audubon: Quote--SLIDE 7)
Lackawanna Heritage Valley, Pennsylvania--(George Innes Painting, "Lackawanna Valley"--SLIDE 8)
Annapolis, Maryland--(Alliance for Sustainable Communities: Sacred Places--SLIDE 9 Sunset)
Delaware-Lehigh Navigation Canal National Heritage Corridor, Pennsylvania--( Visit by John James Audubon, "Audubon's Lehigh"--SLIDE 10 )
Use art & literature from your area as sources of inspiration, pride, awareness & vision:
(eg. SLIDE 11--Impressionist Paintings)
"That lovely calm, ever-changing, stinking river, full of glamour and filth. I love it so, I think because it gave me a sense of life--Guy de Maupassant, Mouche, 1890)
* IDENTITY--SENSE OF PLACE & RECOGNIZABLE PARTS OF REGIONAL AND PERSONAL LANDSCAPE;
Pattern generating elements of the region (eg. overall land use and management--land use, forest cover, general appearance, views)
Character of community (eg.--Kentucky Bluegrass Country--SLIDE 12 )
* REGIONAL COOPERATION--POOLING RESOURCES AND EXPERTISE
REGIONAL GOAL--(e.g. CHART 5---Note New England Governor's Resolution on Tourism)
* CONNECTIVITY--INTERACTION BETWEEN THE PEOPLE, PLACES AND HERITAGE TOURISM DELIVERY SYSTEMS--LINKS---SPATIAL, BIOLOGICAL, ECONOMIC, PHYSICAL, INFORMATIONAL, MENTAL
Multi-objective perspective (Lackawanna Heritage Valley Map--SLIDE 13)
* HERITAGE INFRASTRUCTURE--NATURAL, CULTURAL AND CIVIC SYSTEMS
Natural Infrastructure: Riparian systems (eg. Southern Cypress Swamp, Suwannee River Corridor, Florida--SLIDE 14 )
Cultural Infrastructure: Infrastructure for interpretation and education (eg. Lackawanna Heritage Valley, Pennsylvania; Visitor services, linkages, interpretive sites, an infrastructure for a new industry of ecological and cultural tourism, SLIDE--Scranton, PA 15 )
Civic Infrastructure: Network of groups representing broad-based interests throughout the area ( eg. Garden Clubs of America--SLIDE 16 of SC Garden Club; also Lake Champlain, Vermont Heritage Network)
* PACKAGING OF INFORMATION ON THE AREA, ITS PEOPLE AND SERVICES
INSIDE PACKAGING: Hospitality, training, local capacity; facilitating forums; --(eg. Environmental and Business Cross-Training--Crisfield, Maryland Heritage Action Plan; also Atlantic Flyway Byway, Delmarva Peninsula, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia--grant writing, and preparation of business plans for Heritage Boards/ Committees)
OUTSIDE PACKAGING: Information, activities, services, and businesses (eg. SLIDE 17--Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Civil War Battlefields)
Note: British Countryside Commission results---18% of locals know their countryside well; Maps can only be read by one in eight people; lack of confidence---40% of public worry about trespass; getting lost, where to go, or how to behave. Consider ideas such as, Joint Museum/ Tourism Brochures and Passes, Association of Museums in Paris which offers one brochure and one visitor pass for 65 museums.
* ON THE GROUND ACTION--DESIGN, PURCHASE, CLEAN, PRESERVE, CONSERVE, RESTORE, FIX & CELEBRATE!
Action starts on day-one! Take small steps while planning and promotion go on. Momentum, creditability, visibility, results, team-building and involvement. (eg. Crisfield, Maryland Heritage Visitor Center--SLIDE 18 )
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