Pro Poor Tourism - Tourism increasing benefits for poor people

Cultural Heritage Sites: Museums, Historical Buildings, Monuments etc.

Introduction
Cultural heritage sites are tourist magnets – they have the power to draw visitors into a region or town. This creates an opportunity and a responsibility for site managers.

The large number of visitors creates an opportunity for the cultural heritage attraction to highlight other experiences and tourism services in the area. Through its website, visitor centre or signage, a cultural heritage site can encourage visitors to stay longer in the area, visit local villages, food and drink producers or craftspeople thereby spending more money in the local economy. Such actions, although seemingly small to a large site, can have a significant impact on the local economically poor.

Attractions also require resources, both staff and supplies. By adapting recruitment and purchasing activities, significant benefits can be brought to the poorer sections of the local community.

The Benefits

Enhance your own brand and USP. Competitive advantage is gained from a more distinctive product. Sites that invest in interpreting their cultural heritage in the context of the locality and connecting with the communities around them stand out from others and strengthen the wider destination to visit.
Greater local support. By using local staff, goods and services, local linkages will be boosted. The support of the local community can be very important to tourism businesses, particularly when it comes to the safety and welfare of your visitors.
Staff morale and improved service. Staff want to work for an organisation that deliver benefits for the local community, and a happy staff results in improved customer service and guest satisfaction.
Word-of-mouth marketing and media coverage. Contact with local people can make the connection with living culture, providing the storiesthat people tell to friends or readers.
Diversification of product. By providing information on what the locality has to offer can encourage people to extend their stay.

Ways You Can Help

Supply Chain

Purchase directly from local businesses which employ the economically poor

Support for local arts and tourism services which benefit the economically poor

Employment

Increase recruitment of local staff from amongst the economically poor

Increase training opportunities for local people, particularly for the economically poor

Encourage Guests to Purchase from the Economically Poor

Encourage tourists to take local excursions

Encourage tourists to buy local crafts

Provide the opportunity for tourists to donate

Poor people can also benefit from tourism through non-market mechanisms, such as: