Bookstore tourism
Encyclopedia
Bookstore tourism is a type of cultural tourism
that promotes independent bookstores as a group travel destination. It started as a grassroots
effort to support locally owned and operated bookshops, many of which have struggled to compete with large bookstore chains and online retailers.
The project was initiated in 2003 by Larry Portzline, a writer and college instructor in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
who led "bookstore road trips" to other cities and recognized its potential as a group travel niche and marketing tool. He promoted the concept with a how-to book and a web site, and groups around the U.S. soon began offering similar excursions, usually via a chartered bus, and often incorporating book signings, author home tours, and historical sites. In 2005-06, two regional booksellers associations -- the Southern California Booksellers Association and the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association -- embraced Bookstore Tourism, offering trips to independent bookstores in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco.
The Bookstore Tourism movement encourages schools, libraries, reading groups, and organizations of all sizes to create day-trips and literary outings to cities and towns with a concentration of independent bookstores. It also encourages local booksellers to attract bibliophiles to their communities by employing bookstore tourism as an economic development
tool. Others benefiting include local retailers, restaurants, bus companies, and travel professionals.
The effort also provides organizations with an outreach opportunity to support reading and literacy
.
Portzline has traveled across the country to promote the concept. In 2006 he created a promotional video featuring group "bookstore road trips" in New York City's Greenwich Village and in Los Angeles area "beach towns" and posted it on the Bookstore Tourism website.
Portzline took a year off in 2008, and in early 2009 began to promote the effort again, partly in response to the effects of the U.S. financial crisis on independent booksellers.
Cultural tourism
Cultural tourism is the subset of tourism concerned with a country or region's culture, specifically the lifestyle of the people in those geographical areas, the history of those peoples, their art, architecture, religion, and other elements that helped shape their way of life...
that promotes independent bookstores as a group travel destination. It started as a grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
effort to support locally owned and operated bookshops, many of which have struggled to compete with large bookstore chains and online retailers.
The project was initiated in 2003 by Larry Portzline, a writer and college instructor in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
who led "bookstore road trips" to other cities and recognized its potential as a group travel niche and marketing tool. He promoted the concept with a how-to book and a web site, and groups around the U.S. soon began offering similar excursions, usually via a chartered bus, and often incorporating book signings, author home tours, and historical sites. In 2005-06, two regional booksellers associations -- the Southern California Booksellers Association and the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association -- embraced Bookstore Tourism, offering trips to independent bookstores in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco.
The Bookstore Tourism movement encourages schools, libraries, reading groups, and organizations of all sizes to create day-trips and literary outings to cities and towns with a concentration of independent bookstores. It also encourages local booksellers to attract bibliophiles to their communities by employing bookstore tourism as an economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
tool. Others benefiting include local retailers, restaurants, bus companies, and travel professionals.
The effort also provides organizations with an outreach opportunity to support reading and literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
.
Portzline has traveled across the country to promote the concept. In 2006 he created a promotional video featuring group "bookstore road trips" in New York City's Greenwich Village and in Los Angeles area "beach towns" and posted it on the Bookstore Tourism website.
Portzline took a year off in 2008, and in early 2009 began to promote the effort again, partly in response to the effects of the U.S. financial crisis on independent booksellers.