Cultural and Heritage Tourism

CULTURAL AND HERITAGE TOURISM

Cultural and heritage tourism is based around visitation and exploration of existing historical sites, cultural facilities, and community events.

Building Upon Existing Resources Most communities in the Buckeye Hills region have historical resources such as historic buildings and sites of notable events. Many visitors will find these resources to be interesting and even a one-of-a-kind experience.

Link to Outdoor Recreation

Cultural and historical sites should be included in outdoor recreational activities. This will create a memorable experience for tourists that is unique to the community.

An example of this would include linking a proposed trail network to existing cultural and historical sites. This provides access to these sites while making the trail network more interesting and unique. Former Industrial Sites as Tourism Opportunities There are numerous former industrial sites in the Buckeye Hills region. As a key part of the regional economy, these industrial sites are integral to the culture and history of multiple generations of residents. Tourists will likely want to visit these sites to have a better understanding of the sense of place, and they deserve to have some efforts toward preservation.

These sites often consist of large, unique buildings and expansive landscapes. While many of these have contamination or are not safe to access, they can potentially be remediated for limited or total public access. Preserving the key elements of the sites and providing limited public access is a way to allow the public to develop a sense of the experiences of past generations that worked at these facilities.

The Ohio & Erie Canal Southern Descent was the portion of the canal system extending from Buckeye Lake to the Ohio River at Portsmouth. Several locks and portions of the canal remain throughout Southern Ohio. A coalition of historic preservationists and local municipalities have worked to create a heritage trail which links all of these remaining infrastructure elements. Visitors can drive the corridor and visit the elements while also experiencing the various small towns and rural areas that were originally developed along the canal corridor. The trail passes through the Buckeye Hills region in Perry County at Buckeye Lake.

CASE STUDY: OHIO & ERIE CANAL SOUTHERN DESCENT HERITAGE TRAIL

Image: Matt Leasure