Culture Is Infrastructure: How Cuts to Arts, Heritage, and Tourism Undermine Communities and Economies

Last week, I shared a post on LinkedIn that clearly struck a nerve. Over 230 people reacted, and many more commented or shared. The message was simple but urgent:

Museums are more than cultural institutions — they’re economic engines.

In a moment where we’re watching proposed budget cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and other critical cultural agencies, it’s important to pause and ask: What’s really at stake when we cut funding for history, culture, and the arts?

It’s Not Just About Preservation, It’s About Prosperity

Yes, museums, historic sites, libraries, and arts organizations preserve our heritage and educate the public, which I think we all agree is vitally important.

But unfortunately, not all lawmakers value those outcomes. To them, I suggest pointing out that museums, historic sites, libraries, and arts organizations generate real, tangible economic activity.

Cultural institutions and heritage assets don’t just preserve the past — they shape a community’s identity in ways that motivate travel. They showcase the stories, places, and experiences you can’t find anywhere else; the things that make a town worth visiting.

A local museum, a historic walking trail, a mural downtown, a restored opera house — they anchor vibrant Main Streets and give visitors a reason to linger. A family might come for the museum, but they stay for lunch at a nearby café, browse the shops, and book a hotel room for the night. Multiply that by hundreds or thousands of visitors, and you begin to see the ripple effect across the local economy.

According to the American Alliance of Museums, museums contribute over $50 billion annually to the U.S. economy. They support more than 700,000 jobs. And those numbers don’t even capture the extended impact on tourism, hospitality, transportation, and small businesses.

Heritage Tourism Is a Growth Opportunity

The data is clear: heritage and cultural travelers stay longer, spend more, and travel more frequently than the average tourist. These are visitors who are intentionally seeking meaningful experiences that connect them to the history and culture of a place.

This is why defunding institutions like IMLS and NEH is not just a cultural loss, it’s an economic misstep. These institutions provide critical support to museums, libraries, local humanities councils, and cultural nonprofits that help communities share their stories and attract visitors. When those funding streams dry up, so do the opportunities for rural towns, small cities, and underserved communities to leverage their unique heritage for economic development.

Culture Is Infrastructure

We talk about investing in infrastructure as a way to strengthen American roads, bridges, and broadband. But culture is infrastructure, too. It’s the scaffolding that supports civic pride, shared identity, tourism revenue, and community resilience.

We can’t afford to treat it as optional.

What You Can Do

If you care about jobs, tourism, small businesses, or the future of your community’s story, make your voice heard.

• Call your legislators. Let them know that IMLS and NEH are not expendable line items. They’re lifelines. (Click here for 5Calls.org, an easy way to take action.)

• Tell the economic story. When speaking up for culture, don’t just talk about what we’ll lose in spirit; talk about what we’ll lose in spending power.

• Support your local institutions. Every ticket, donation, and visit matters.