| What Happened Next
In response to the Maine Arts Commission- originated cultural
heritage tourism workshops that were now being held around the
state, the Maine Office of Tourism made cultural tourism a priority
by including it as an important component of its five-year plan.
The cultural community was lucky
to have an ally in tourism in the person
of Nat Bowditch, assistant director of the state tourism office.
He had previously been with the arts commission and was aware
of the importance
of the linkages that were
being forged between his
old and new organizations.
 The four original partners agreed, in 1997, to form an official
multi-agency funding alliance to forward cultural heritage tourism
in Maine. Calling itself the Arts and Heritage Tourism Partnership,
the group agreed to contribute funds for planning and implementation
grants. Early results include statewide tourism workshops and
training sessions, a statewide inventory of arts and heritage
groups, the Mid-Coast Arts and Heritage Map, an
out-of-state marketing campaign, and
perhaps most significantly, a strengthened partnership with the
Office of Tourism. Tourism included an arts and heritage
calendar of events on its official web site and created a staff
position to handle
cultural tourism. This position was filled by Anne Ball, formerly
of the Freeport Historical Society.
Ball, who holds the title Arts and Heritage Tourism Consultant
for Maine, says, “
It was very telling that the tourism office hired a cultural
person rather than a marketing one. The cultural entities needed
to understand tourism and vice versa.
It was a logical marriage and one that has developed smoothly.”
In 1998, the partnership set forth goals to promote a travel
experience that supports the arts and heritage; to develop standards
that protect, preserve, and promote quality cultural resources;
and to develop strategies
that strengthen and enhance the capacity of cultural and heritage
organizations to serve their communities. In pursuit of those
goals, the partnership awarded
funding to three pilot projects—Wabanaki Cultural Guide,
St. John Valley Welcome Guide, and “Come See What’s
Cooking
in Hancock County.”
The Maine Arts Commission and the Office of Tourism also provided
technical assistance to the development of projects including
Mainemusic.org and the Maine Art Museum Trail. (See caption below.)
The Maine Archives and Museums and
the Maine Humanities Council received
a $50,000 Institute of Museum and Library Services grant to develop
a statewide
museum website, create marketing
photography of museums, and build awareness for cultural heritage
tourism.
The funding partnership continued to define and promote cultural
tourism resources, linking them and proposing marketing strategies
for them in 1999 by awarding four additional planning grants
to various entities. The movement to advance Maine through arts
and heritage tourism received official status when the Governor’s
Conference on Tourism chose as its theme, “Sharing Our
Treasures: Marketing the Richness of Maine’s Arts
and Heritage and Outdoor Recreation Experiences.”
Because cultural heritage tourism programming was becoming broader
and more varied with each new endeavor, in 2000 the Arts and
Heritage Funding Partnership expanded to include Maine Department
of Agriculture, Maine Department of Transportation, Maine Department
of Conservation, and the Maine State Planning Office. All of
these agencies worked together to assist the state’s ongoing
efforts to grant and assist cultural heritage tourism efforts,
which include more thematic trails and
the development of cultural tourism in
the western Maine mountain region.
Timeline
- 1995 - Cultural Tourism Workshop cosponsored
by Maine Arts Commission and Maine Office of Tourism
- 1996 - Office of Tourism includes cultural
tourism component to its Five-Year Plan
- 1997 - Arts and Heritage Tourism Partnership
formed
- 1999 - Maine Art Museum Trail launched
Partnership funds four new tourism projects
Governor’s conference focuses on arts and heritage tourism
- 2000 - Partnership expanded to include four
more state agencies
Western Maine region designated as pilot project area
Wabanaki Guide and Maine Outdoor Sculpture Guide published
Mainemusic.org launched
New Century Community Program funded by state legislature
Return to summary
|
