The industry today encompasses cultural and heri- tage specialists, who are an important resource for the travel and tourism industry in providing these customers with accurate, insightful interpretation of local assets. Communities throughout the U.S. have developed successful programs linking the arts, hu- manities, history and tourism. Cultural and heritage organizations—such as museums, performing arts organizations, festivals, humanities, and historic preservation groups—have formed partnerships with tour operators, state travel offices, convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs), hotels, and air carriers to create initiatives that serve as models for similar efforts across the U.S.
An integral but often invisible component of the cultural and heritage sector are the artists, per- formers, writers and other creative workers whose