New Study Quantifies Economic Impact of Cultural and Heritage Tourism
Fox & Hounds Blog, 10/29/09
"A new study, the first of its kind, confirms that cultural and heritage tourism is huge—and bigger than many of us thought in terms of economic impact…Especially noteworthy is that this group is affluent and travels more and further as a whole—which means they are less impacted by the slow economy than other types of travelers. The study, conducted by Mandala Research for the U.S. Cultural & Heritage Tourism (USCHT) Marketing Council, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Commerce, shows that 78 percent of all U.S. leisure travelers (118.3 million adults) participate in culture and/or heritage activities while traveling, spending an average of $994 per trip, and contributing to more than $192 billion annually to the U.S. economy."  
http://bit.ly/4f1kj0

Robert Sterling Clark Foundation Releases New Cultural Engagement Publication
The Robert Sterling Clark Foundation has released the second publication in its Series on International Cultural Engagement, "The Art of Engagement: Trends in U.S. Cultural Exchange and International Programming." This document presents an overview of the results from the International Programming and Cultural Exchange Survey administered between September 2007 and June 2008. One-hundred thirty-four artists and organizations representing 12 arts disciplines and the humanities weighed in on challenges, impact, and lessons learned from their experiences with international cultural exchange. To view the report, please visit the foundation's website.

LabForCulture.org Paper Highlights Social Entrepreneurship Policymaking 
The feature, prepared by Lidia Varbanova, editor of the resources for research section of theLabForCulture.org website, looks at social entrepreneurship policymaking and the long-term impact this may have on society and culture. The piece examines the essence and characteristics of social entrepreneurship as a new global phenomenon, the policy objectives behind social entrepreneurship programs, and their impact on long-term policy decisions, including in the cultural sector. To read the article, please visit their website.

ENCATC Presents Cultural Policy Research Award 2009 in Barcelona
Davide Ponzini has been named the winner of the Cultural Policy Research Award 2009. This was announced by an international jury during a ceremony on October 22 in Barcelona, as part of ENCATC's (European Network of Cultural Administration Training Centers) 17th Annual Conference. The CPRA jury had shortlisted six finalists from 31 applications received from 14 countries. Ponzini's research is entitled "Governing Urban Diversity: A Policy Tool Comparison of Five European Capitals" and it will explore the use of policy tools addressing cultural diversity issues as the direct or indirect result of international programs. For more information about the award, please visit the ENCATC website.