History and heritage tourism are entering a new era. Today’s visitors, especially younger travelers, are looking for experiences that feel immersive, authentic, connected, and easy to engage with both online and in person. At the same time, destinations, museums, scenic byways, Main Streets, and cultural organizations are being challenged to preserve local identity while adapting to changing technology, visitor expectations, and attention spans.
Join heritage tourism expert Heidi Schlag, founder of Heritage Tourism Studio, and our lead instructor, Sarah Benoit, for a practical and inspiring conversation about how communities can use storytelling, collaboration, interpretation, and digital tools to strengthen heritage tourism and deepen visitor connection.
Drawing from decades of experience helping destinations and cultural organizations align around shared stories and experiences, Heidi will explore how heritage tourism can become more engaging, more visible, and more economically impactful without losing authenticity or sense of place.
Whether you manage a historic site, lead a destination organization, support a heritage program, or help preserve your community’s culture and story, this webinar will offer actionable ideas to evolve your approach while staying rooted in what makes your destination meaningful.
Why Attend?
📅 Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2026
🕒 Time: 12:10 – 1 PM Eastern / 9:10 – 10 AM Pacific
💻 Location: Zoom
Webinar Recordings & Recaps
A recording and the slide deck will be shared with everyone who registers by email newsletter two days after the webinar. You can also check out our webinar archives, as well as our YouTube channel.
What is Heritage Tourism?
According to the Heritage Tourism Guidebook created by the Texas Historical Commission, “heritage tourism” is travel directed toward experiencing the heritage of a city, region, state, or country. Heritage tourism enables the tourist to learn about, and be surrounded by, local customs, traditions, history, and culture.
Heidi is the founder of Heritage Tourism Studio, where she helps DMOs, museums, heritage areas, scenic byways, Main Streets, parks, and cultural organizations work together to turn local assets into connected regional visitor experiences. With 25 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, marketing communications, and tourism strategy, she has led collaborative initiatives that bring multiple partners into alignment around shared stories, audiences, and goals.
Her work includes projects with organizations such as the C&O Canal Trust, the Greater Baltimore History Alliance, and the Mid-Atlantic Tourism Public Relations Alliance (MATPRA), where she has developed implementation-ready strategies that strengthen visitor engagement, support local economies, and extend the impact of heritage tourism across entire regions. She also serves on the board of the National Scenic Byways Association, contributing to national conversations on the role of byways in tourism and community development.
As a Certified Interpretive Planner, Heidi brings a distinct perspective to this work, bridging the gap between museum-based interpretation and the broader visitor experience. She helps organizations move beyond isolated stories and sites to create cohesive, place-based experiences that visitors can understand, navigate, and connect with across an entire destination.
Learn more at www.heritagetourismstudio.com.
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