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Black Meetings & Tourism December 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 27 LaVerne L. Holmes Site Seeing Tours, Inc. Washington, D.C. Specialties: Black History Month theme tours; Footsteps of Dr. King Tour, which includes stops at the Willard Hotel, the U Street Neighborhood and other places with a connec- tion to the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Web site: http://www.siteseeingtoursinc.com Kevin Cottrell Motherland Connextions Niagara Falls, NY Specialties: Underground Railroad tours of western New York and southern Ontario Web site: http://www.motherlandconnextions.com Elaine Turner & Joan Nelson Heritage Tours, Inc. Memphis, TN Specialties: tour to Alex Haley's boyhood home of Henning, TN; Memphis Black Heritage Tour; Beale Street Night Life Tour Web site: http://www.heritagetoursmemphis.com Valerie Holton Black L.A. Tours Los Angeles Specialties: family reunion trips to Allensworth State Historic Park, the site of a town founded by former slaves; homes of Black Hollywood stars tour Phone: (323) 750-9267 Natchez Pilgrimage Tours bring thousands of visitors each spring and fall to tour the antebellum homes of this Mississippi River town. One of the few historic homes open year round in Natchez is the William Johnson House. Operated by the National Park Service, it was the home of a free man of color who kept a diary that is said to be the most detailed personal narrative by an African- American prior to the Civil War. Bontura House, built by Robert Smith, a free Black man who ran a carriage serv- ice in the city, is the only home on the Pilgrimage Tours that was constructed by an African-American. APPRECIATING THE ARTS Exploring a destination's contributions to the visual and performing arts is part of heritage tourism, too. It includes visiting museums and galleries and attending art festivals and performances. One of the hottest niche markets is music heritage travel. Some destinations are well known for their musical roots. Philadelphia International Records produced the distinctive soul sounds of artists like the O'Jays and Harold Melvin and the Blue notes. Memphis has the Beale Street Historic District, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, as well as Graceland, home of rock and roll icon Elvis Presley. In other cities, the musi- cal history is somewhat of a hidden gem that avid her- itage tourists are nevertheless starting to find and appre- ciate. "Jackson, Mississippi, is known as the City with Soul, and we pride ourselves in [the fact] that many visitors come to our city to discover and uncover much about the influence our city has had on many musical genres such as gospel, jazz and blues," says Collier-Wilson, who notes that Jackson has seven Blues Markers on the Mississippi Blues Marker Trail, more than any other city in the state. Collier-Wilson says the historic Farish Street District is the place to be for visitors who want to learn about the city's musical heritage. This was the birthplace of Ace Records, which carried blues artists like Earl King, Huey "Piano" Smith and Bobby Marchand on its label. It's also home to the Alamo Theater, one of the first sites to be renovated in an ongoing revitalization of the district. "It once hosted vaudeville shows, movies, touring jazz acts and a weekly talent contest," Collier-Wilson says. "Dorothy Moore of 'Misty Blue' fame, a native Jacksonian still performing today, was a frequent talent contest win- ner. Nat King Cole performed here when he found out that his daughter Natalie was born." All of this is just a sampling of the variety of travel experiences that fall under the big umbrella of heritage tourism. Even eco-tourism can be included. Along with their interest in the buildings, the cultural arts and the history of a place, many heritage travelers want to expe- rience its natural environment. With its focus on making travel to each destination a unique, authentic and unforgettable experience, it's no wonder that heritage tourism is one of the fastest grow- ing segments of the travel industry. HERITAGE TOUR OPERATORS Father and son viewing Heritage display at a Philadelphia Museum