A Search for Authenticity: Why Cultural Heritage Tourism is on the Rise

A Search for Authenticity: Why Cultural Heritage Tourism is on the Rise

Reading Time: 4 minutes We live in an era of mass culture. Drive along a business route or interstate highway anywhere in America, and you’ll find the roads lined with the same franchised businesses. The food, hotels, auto services, and stores are identical from town to town. Don’t misunderstand me — franchises have a place in our culture. They offer product consistency, and travelers’ expectations are met. We know what we will get when we eat at McDonalds, sleep in a Holiday Inn, and awaken to Starbucks coffee. But the sameness of those experiences — regardless of geographic location — leaves many of us […]

Beyond Bluegrass: Antiques Tourism in Galax VA

Beyond Bluegrass: Antiques Tourism in Galax VA

Reading Time: 5 minutes Originally published in Antique Trader Magazine updated 2019 “All great literature is one of two stories; a man goes on a journey or a stranger comes to town.”— Leo Tolstoy When Tolstoy made this point, I’m sure he wasn’t foreshadowing the modern tourist industry. Nevertheless, there is a lot of “coming and going” occurring in the U.S., and in the past year, such travel has been responsible for making cash registers ring to the tune of more than $2 trillion. While big tourism projects garner lots of press and attract lots of political attention, small towns across America attract millions […]