Arts, Culture & Entertainment Travel Market

NTA & the Arts, Culture & Entertainment Travel Market

• All NTA tour operators feature some form of arts, culture and entertainment on their itineraries and travel product/services.
• More than 60 percent of NTA tour operators offer packages with historical and heritage sites or attractions.
• 60 percent of NTA tour operators offer packages that include events such as fairs, festivals, carnivals, parades and exhibitions.
• Nearly half of all NTA tour operators offer packages with performances such as theatrical, music, comedy and more.

Facts about the Arts, Culture & Entertainment Travel Market

• 43 percent of Americans indicated that they plan to visit an attraction within the next 12 months. (Source: IAAPA Industry Statistics)
• Each year there are more than 850 million visits to the more than 17,500 museums in the U.S. (Source: American Alliance of Museums)
• More than 905,000 U.S. businesses are involved in the creation or distribution of the arts. (Source: Performing Arts Alliance)
• 80,000-plus properties are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. (Source: National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior)
• Nearly 44 million people visited live theaters in the past year. (Source: Statista)
• More than 181 million people visited zoos and aquariums generating $16 billion in annual economic activity (Source: Association of Zoos & Aquariums)
• 500 million guests visit carnivals, fairs and festivals each year. (Source: Outdoor Amusement Business Association)
• Shopping represents the principal, or one of the principal, motivations for traveling, and is one of the major categories of tourists’ expenditures. (Source: World Tourism Organization: Global Report on Shopping Tourism)

Types of Arts, Culture & Entertainments Travel Experiences

• Attractions
• Museums
• Theatrical performances
• Dinner theaters
• Casinos
• Galleries
• Zoos
• Aquariums
• Planetariums
• Conservatories
• Gardens & arboretums
• Restaurants, breweries & dining
• Historic sites
• Heritage & cultural events
• Shopping
• Fairs & festivals
• Carnivals & parades
• Foodie celebrations
• Cultural centers & institutions
• Musical performances & venues
• Dance performances & venues
• Entertainment shows
• Exhibitions
• Amusement parks
• Film & visual arts
• Comedy shows and performances
• Educational workshops & institutions

Notables about NTA Members

• More than 12 million people attend Broadway shows every year, generating $1 billion in ticket sales.
• The San Diego Zoo was ranked as the number two zoo in the United States and world by the 2014 Travelers’ Choice rankings, while San Diego Safari Park was named the fourth-best zoo in America and 11th overall in the world.
• The Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum and research complex. New York City Ballet has the largest repertory of any ballet company in the world.
• As one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world, Minnesota’s Mall of America features 520 stores, 50 restaurants and attractions, and the nation’s largest indoor theme park.
• USA Today chose The Butchart Gardens as one of the 10 Best Public Gardens while National Geographic named it one of the Top 10 Magnificent Gardens.
• Parks Canada is the largest provider of natural and cultural tourism product in the country, and its iconic destinations form the cornerstone of the Canadian tourism industry.
• The Oregon Shakespeare Festival welcomed more than 400,000 patrons who saw 805 productions and spent nearly $20 million on show tickets.
• More than 100 million people have visited Colonial Williamsburg in 80+ years.
• Sight & Sound Theatres is the largest faith-based live theater in the country with nearly a million attendees  each year.
• The CN Tower was declared one of the modern Seven Wonders of the World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.