American culture pulling in tourism

Cultural travelers want to step into and experience a new destination, not just stop by touristy places and take selfies.

They want to eat the local dishes, not go searching for the nearest McDonald’s. They want to meet the locals and build connections. They want to learn about history and leave with a greater understanding and appreciation for the place they visited and the people who live there.

The UNWTO, United Nations World Tourism Organization, defines cultural tourism as the “movements of persons for essentially cultural motivations such as study tours, performing arts, and cultural tours; travel to festivals and other cultural events; visits to sites and monuments; travel to study nature, folklore or art, and pilgrimages.”

In the US, research has revealed the most cultural states in America after analyzing the number of landmarks, museums, and art galleries in all 50 states as a percentage of the total attractions available.

And the cultural winner is…

New Mexico with 367 sights and landmarks, 505 museums, and 334 art galleries is the most cultural station in the union as out of the 2,751 attractions in the state, 43.84% were considered cultural, the highest percentage of any US state.

Mississippi takes second on the list, with 38.05% of all 1,377 attractions in the state being cultural. The state has 310 sights and landmarks, as well as 173 museums, followed by 41 art galleries.

Coming in third place is the state of Kansas. According to findings, there are 1,636 attractions in the state, with 37.65% of these being cultural attractions. The state is home to 330 sights and landmarks, 247 museums, and 39 art galleries.

Fourth place goes to North Dakota, with a total of 653 attractions, 36.75% of which are cultural. The state has 169 sights and landmarks, 64 museums, and seven art galleries.

Rounding out the top five is Rhode Island. 35.62% of the 1,499 attractions in the state are considered cultural, with there being 360 sights and landmarks, 125 museums, and 49 art galleries.

Pulling up in the bottom 10 were West Virginia in 6th place, Vermont in 7th, Massachusetts in 8th, South Dakota in 9th, and Delware in 10th.

“While the larger more populated states may offer a larger range of attractions, this data highlights which states are focusing on encapsulating culture the most. Whether it be through expressing history through museums and landmarks or showcasing creativity through art, it’s also a great draw for tourism,” commented a spokesperson for Florida Rentals who conducted the study.