This site contains my writings and related materials on Place-Based Cultural Tourism.Specializing in Place-Based Cultural Tourism (PBCT) - a phrase that I coined - I help destinations realize their potential for cultural tourism by using a holistic, place-based planning approach. The approach weaves together heritage, arts, culinary, agri-tourism, and interpreted natural history experiences to form a tapestry that reveals a destination's unique “cultural terroir" and sense of place. Using this approach, destinations can compete in the cultural tourism marketplace with greater success than by employing “event” or “attractions-based” marketing that is commonly found in generic leisure travel campaigns.For cultural travelers, the visitor experience is about much more than a destination’s events and attractions. It’s about a destination’s history and heritage, its narratives and stories, its landscape, its townscape, its people. It’s about what makes a city, town, or region distinctive, authentic, and memorable. It's about the experience of “place”. Simply put, the “place is the product.”My clients have included Destination BC, Ontario's Ministry of Tourism, Tourism Prince Edward Island, Parks Canada, Whistler, BC; and cities, towns and institutions from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland. Committed to cultural tourism education as well as its practice, I taught the course, "Cultural Tourism: A Place-Based Approach", offered through the Cultural Resource Management Program at the University of Victoria. From 2005 through 2015, I was a regular guest lecturer in the Graduate Program in Tourism Policy and Planning at the University of Waterloo.In 2012, I served as an editorial advisor and contributor to "Cultural & Heritage Tourism: A Handbook for Community Champions”. The Handbook and other materials are downloadable in the “Featured” section, below.I no longer offer on-the-ground destination planning. However, I am available for two or three-day opportunity assessments for destinations seeking to capitalize on PBCT. I also offer a day-long PBCT workshop.All planning processes in my place-based approach may be freely used by other destination planners, DMOs, academics and students. However, all text and graphics are strictly copyrighted and require attribution.Finally, should you wish to “connect”, kindly introduce yourself to me at: rsteventhorne1 @ gmail dot com. I do not accept invitations to connect without an introduction.Best regards,Steven Thorne
Listed skills include Tourism, Destination Marketing, Cultural Heritage, Strategy, and 26 others.