Preservation, Authenticity and Cultural Heritage

The comment I hear most often by visitors is “Your downtown is so beautiful.” Travelers want to know more about our town and its rich history; how did our town come to be, why are the streets so wide or the buildings so substantial, and how did we manage to preserve our authentic downtown?
Preserved and revitalized historic commercial districts are a major attraction when travelers seek a real experience or businesses and people consider relocating. Many people who have moved here mention the emotional pull and magnetic attraction of our historic downtown as a deciding factor in their decision making.
One look at the “before and after” pictures of our downtown tells the story of Historic Baker City’s revitalization efforts. Since 1993 HBC’s Destination Downtown has helped facilitate more than 80 restorations in the downtown district (with a 50% matching grant incentive program), attracting attention in state and national preservation arenas. The Destination Downtown program revolves around preserving, promoting, and capitalizing on downtown Baker City’s Historic District as a key strategy in Baker City’s economic development.
Downtowns are the heart and soul of a community. A trip down any USA Main Street will tell a lot about the history, community pride, vitality, livability, and the uniqueness of a community. Baker City stands out in everyone’s mind as something very special.
Preservation and heritage tourism are strong components in economic development of a community; jobs are created for local tradesmen and visitors help drive the economy, directly and indirectly through “the multiplier effect” (the increase in demand for local services, products and human resources).
"Over the past decade, travel industry research confirms that cultural and heritage tourism is one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry."
-US Dept. of Commerce A Position Paper on Cultural and Heritage Tourisn, 2005

As the globe shrinks and visitors grow tired of creeping homogenization, authentic experiences become a key factor in deciding where to go and what to do. Will I find a distinct sense of place, a genuine glimpse into other cultures, other times, other ways of living? Will I connect with real people? Will I learn something new? Will I create unique memories?*
Tourists are by and large a curious breed with a hunger for experience and knowledge of the world and the people in it. It’s the same urge that draws people to arts events, museums, and festivals, and that drives artists to create. In a world of interchangeable communities, cookie-cutter malls, and plastic souvenirs, a growing number of travelers are searching for the new, the different, the authentic. *
Ann Mehaffy, Program Director

*Last two paragraphs reprinted with permission from the Oregon Arts Commission- Exploring
Authentic Oregon: The Importance of Cultural Tourism