A Review on Economic Impacts of a Heritage Tourism System

Abstract

The US's past has frequently been used as a tourism subject. In 1988, a formal network of historical locations in southwest Pennsylvania that represent the area's industrial and cultural past was established. At a cost of $88.2 million, 20 historical sites were renovated as part of The Path of Progress. 13 finished sites in the nine-county area were the subject of a five-year study that tracked their development and economic impact. The 13 venues had over half a million visitor days annually by 1998, with 74% of the visitors being non-residents. In 1998, non-resident visitors spent $15 million in the area. In the year 1998, tourists who were not locals spent $15 million in the area. These expenses had a $33 million total impact on regional sales. The sum of $470 million was the total sales effect of the whole network for the first eleven years of operation, with 64% of that amount coming from non-resident spending and 36 percent from capital expenditures. The impact of non-resident spending increased by $16 million between the original sites' operations in 1988 and 1998. With the system's growth, more might be anticipated.