Exploring resident awareness of cultural tourism and its impact on quality of life

Abstract

Indianapolis has dedicated considerable public investment and focused public policy efforts on the development of cultural tourism during the past several years. A city- wide cultural tourism initiative in 2002 set sights on positioning Indianapolis as a premier cultural tourism destination. The initiative’s two objectives were to improve the quality of life for Indianapolis residents and to enhance the visitors’ experience by showcasing the city’s cultural amenities and attributes. The goal of this study was to chronicle the impact of the initiative over a period of two years. In 2004, a baseline index was reported that determined the relationship between the level of resident awareness of the initiative and their quality of life rating. The same instrument, based on a three-dimensional model developed by Raphael, Steinmetz, and Renwick (1998), was again administered in 2006 to determine changes in the residents’ awareness of the initiative and their quality of life score.