Culture and heritage tourism plays a critical role in building the visitor economy and goes even beyond that. A recent survey showed that over 50% of respondents polled agreed that history and culture are strong influences on their choice of holiday destination. Statistics also indicate that culture and heritage tourism continues to grow as rapidly, especially in OECD and APEC regions. The global value of culture and heritage tourism is valued at well over $1 billion, with that of the Asia Pacific region being approximately $327 million. It is already directly responsible for over 50 million jobs in APEC countries, with the indirect benefits of culture and heritage tourism thought to be of the order of $1 billion and accounting for a further 75 million jobs across the region. 

Via Tourism Australia