What is
Cultural Tourism?

Geo-tourism or Cultural Tourism is defined as “tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place — its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.” Geo-tourism goes beyond “drive through” travel. It involves regional communities providing the visitor with an authentic, enriching experience. It acquaints tourists with local culture and traditions and offers them in-depth opportunities to enjoy the area’s unique natural beauty and biodiversity.

Who we are

We apply 19 years of travel and tourism experience, 17,097 miles, from the Island of St. Lucia to the Islands of Palau, and over 70 destinations and attractions in-between. We are a team of marketing professionals, sharing a common interest in the outdoors and discovering culture. We have the desire to equip a destination and its people to develop economically through leveraging, while protecting its cultural and natural resources through visitation. Therefore, we are providing an alternative to other industries and economic drivers less sustainable and conducive to protecting and preserving the precious culture and environment of a place and people.

We know
Cultural Tourism

Our firm provides the complete program to execute Cultural Tourism from identification of the assets, to how to position and communicate them effectively, to expanding and enhancing the visitor experience, as well as how to obtain funding resources and partners to share in the cost and opportunity. We enhance a destination’s visitor experience, increase partner participation, forge the brand distinction, and develop the plan and messages to communicate that brand distinction in a manner that is compelling and touches emotions. Making one laugh, smile, think, and feel, resulting in increased visitation and brand advocates.

Competing for your most meaningful distinction

Competing with similar geographical, natural features, experiences, and heavy consumer influence over brand via social media has presented an increased challenge for Destination Marketers to distinguish their brand and reach meaningful annual increases in their goal matrix. However, at this same time travelers, from Boomers to Millennials, are, through statistics, telling Destination Marketers exactly what they are seeking, forgoing the traditional list of destinations to find new, unique, authentic, and culturally enriching adventures and experiences.

In the midst of all the sameness, no two destinations share the same exact history and culture. There awaits the answer and the opportunity: Cultural Tourism.

Your Cultural Tourism Success

At TGA our goal is to exceed our client’s expectation. Our philosophy: "They put their trust and confidence in us, we will not let them down." Often we found it wasn’t enough to define and communicate our client’s distinction effectively. To increase visitation consistently over time every aspect of the visitor chain needed to be considered, from brand message to the visitor’s experience and ongoing relationship.

Therefore, our firm developed a suite of proprietary programs from: identification, prioritization and enhancement of the on-the-ground features and experiences, to how to position and communicate them effectively, as well as how to obtain funding resources and partners to share in the cost and opportunity.

1. Cultural Tourism is growing at a rate of 15% annually with foreign tourists and Millennials seeking "authenticity, things real," contributing significantly (WTO/Trip Advisor/Ipsos).
2. TIA states 120,000,000 adults traveling more than fifty miles from their homes are interested in "Cultural Experiences."
3. The Cultural traveler takes at least one more trip per year and spends up to 40% more than your average tourist – $192 billion annually, $994 on average per trip and stays 1.8 days longer and is more active on social media, review sites and makes travel recommendations to friends and family.

Cultural/Environmental Preservation

Compared to other/traditional industries, manufacturing, etc., that provide economic growth, Cultural Tourism results in the preservation of the culture and the environment of a destination.

Community Pride/Population Retention

Identification and effective communication of a destination’s cultural story instills a sense of pride of history, community, and place, resulting in population retention, growth, and the community aesthetically.

Social Sharing

Cultural and natural facts, features, and experiences provide endless rich, thought-provoking content for an audience that is statistically significantly more likely to share information and experiences via social media.

Brand Distinction

Cultural Tourism branding and marketing creates the desired differentiation between competitive destinations, resulting in greater national/international awareness, visitation and cultural and natural preservation.

• International/national full-service marketing firm headquartered in Asheville, NC
• Founded 1998
• Creative - Award Winning, over 90 international/national/regional awards for creativity and results
• Digital Marketing Expertise - Digital Strategy, Content Development & Concepts that move people and products through our Digital Division “Inside Ideas”

• Branding Expertise - Complete suite of branding tools to identify your brand’s most compelling brand positioning
• Efficiency/Results - Internal structure, processes and procedures keep our clients on time, budget, and in double-digit increases
• Team - A team with the knowledge and expertise in all the major disciplines/channels who are focused on your success
• Flexible/Transparent - Provide all or individual services based on client’s needs, transparent/competitive billing

“It is not our objective to win awards,
but we find it increasingly imperative to
create award-winning creative to
break through the 5,000 messages
that your prospect is hit with daily.”

- Jeff Goss