Cultural, historical tourism is on rise

09-29-2002

Are you ready for some history and culture?

As strategies discussed at a recent Pittsburgh gathering of the National Cultural/Heritage Tourism Alliance are carried out, the region's history and culture will be attracting visitors from near and far to explore the bounties with which Western Pennsylvania is so abundantly endowed.

Cultural Confab 2002, a loose coalition of organizations with interests in cultural and historical tourism, convened last week at the Pittsburgh Hilton and Towers. Organized by the Pittsburgh Convention and Visitors Bureau's Office of Cultural Tourism, the event attracted about 100 attendees from across the United States and Canada.

They were kept busy with a full schedule of workshops and roundtable discussions on topics devoted to identifying, developing, packaging and promoting the cultural and historical assets that make an area unique. The group also had the opportunity to sample the cultural and historical attractions that make Western Pennsylvania unique.

Participants visited the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center, Frick Art & Historical Center, the Carnegie Science Center, The Andy Warhol Museum, the Mattress Factory, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and Fallingwater. They sampled our restaurants, shopped in Shadyside, strolled in the Strip and toured the "Rivers of Steel." Some attendees took in a Pirates game at PNC Park, "The Producers" at the Benedum, performances at Heinz Hall by Yo-Yo Ma and the Pittsburgh Symphony, as well as a "Pittsburgh's Jazz Heritage" concert at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild.

Participants were both energized by the ideas presented and impressed by all the tourism appeal Pittsburgh has to offer. After three such action-packed days, it was a wonder they had enough energy left to make it back to the airport!

The event was evidence of the Office of Cultural Tourism's commitment to taking a lead in developing concepts of cultural/historical tourism. In the less than three years since it was founded, the office has taken significant strides in promoting cultural tourism. Nearly 200,000 cultural tourists from targeted markets such as Cleveland, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., have been attracted to Pittsburgh, generating more than $23 million in direct spending within the region.

One of the more accessible tools it has developed is its innovative Web site. In the two years since its launch, www.visitpittsburgh.com has become a model, providing comprehensive information about this area's assets, developing tailored travel packages and selling tickets for specific venues and events.

According to Tinsy Lipchak, the office's executive director, the site received more than a million hits this summer, selling more than $50,000 worth of tickets and arrangements.

Lipchak is confident that cultural/heritage tourism will continue to blossom as the area observes several significant anniversaries.

Next year will see a national awareness of the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition, which set out from Pittsburgh in 1803. Among a host of local activities to mark the event is the construction of a replica of the Corps of Discovery's flatboat in Elizabeth Borough.

The year 2004 begins the seven-year observance associated with the 250th anniversary of the French and Indian War, the so-called War for Empire, which started at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers with a visit from the young George Washington. A variety of local groups are organizing and planning to publicize specific events around the anniversary. The new second-floor addition to the Fort Pitt Museum in Point State Park will also provide a greatly expanded perspective on that era.

Other efforts are under way to create ongoing interest in the Pittsburgh people and places associated with the French and Indian War, much the way that Gettysburg has done with its Civil War history and Philadelphia with its Revolutionary War connections and Independence National Historical Park.

Ed Rendell, keynote speaker at Cultural Confab 2002's luncheon, candidate for governor and former mayor of Philadelphia, has been a strong supporter of tourism initiatives, especially those associated with culture and history, and pledges continued support.

Based on his experiences in Philadelphia, Rendell emphasized that the benefits of such activities go far beyond the economic impact of tourism dollars. According to Rendell, the Kimmell Center for the Performing Arts and the Lights of Liberty project show can transform a city and make it a more desirable place to live.

Although most conference attendees were not Pennsylvania voters, their response to Rendell's comments was more than enthusiastic. The results of November's election notwithstanding, cultural and historic tourism are clearly on the rise.

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