Heritage Tourism Planning Guidebook: Methods for Implementing Heritage Tourism in Sussex County, Delaware

a product of the Coastal Community Enhancement InitiativeThis Guidebook is designed to help communities in Sussex County, Delaware, build and implement heritage tourism programs. The strategies and activities in this Guidebook can be adopted by local communities wishing to use their cultural and historic resources to strengthen the local tourism industry. Heritage tourism has been shown to be an effective tool in the development and diversification of local economies aiming to foster strong economic growth while protecting a valuable but vulnerable cultural heritage. Heritage tourism is defined as “traveling to experience the places, artifacts, and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present. It includes cultural, historic and natural resources” (National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2008). Cultural heritage tourism has a wide range of potential benefits, a strong market potential, and has seen a surge in popularity and implementation in various places in recent decades. Many local government agencies, preservation groups, and economic development advocates have a very positive view of heritage tourism, since it can be a powerful engine of economic growth while helping improve the quality of life for local communities.project co-developed by IPA and the Center for Historic Architecture and Desig