Does a Village Image Deepen the Sense of Destination?

As we study the trends of ‘heritage tourism’ and the success stories of historic districts like the Centralia Downtown, more and more we are discovering that in order to flourish as a heritage tourism location one critical component seems to be projecting the ‘feeling of a village.’  Words like quant, charming, intimate, character, unique, distinctive and cultural are used to depict and describe the successful ‘historical village.’ 

The word “village” reflects a very different message than the word “downtown” or “city center.”  The word village evokes a sense of close knit community – a place where people are connected and involved.  It is interesting to compare the initial reaction or impression of the word “village” in comparison to “city center or downtown.”  In an effort to more accurately reflect the intended “image” of some downtown historical city centers, we have observed that the marketing committees/public relations efforts for these cities have transitioned to the word “village” because it inspires such a different impression to the traveler/patron.