Especially on this Veterans Day 2024, it is unfortunate that the Richmond City Council and City staff have pretty much abandoned recognition of Richmond’s iconic Home Front story that brought us Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, celebrating its 25th anniversary next year. For the City of Pride and Purpose, one of the things we can take vast pride in is the role Richmond played in the WWII Allied victory.

Cultural tourism is one of the fastest-growing segments of the tourism industry, accounting for an estimated 40% of a tourism worldwide. American cultural heritage travelers have an economic impact of $123.6 billion. 49% of cultural travelers will pay more for lodging that has a distinctive cultural or heritage component (historic building, local art or decor, architecture, etc.). Prior to COVID, the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park Visitor center was trending at about 50,000 visitors annually. Following the COVID dip, visitation at Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park continues to increase and is expected to reach pre-COVID levels in 2025.

The National Park Service invites visitors to “Explore Over 20 Historic WWII Sites and Places of Interest in Richmond,”

Exploring Richmond offers a fantastic opportunity to see many historic sites that played a significant role in the WWII Home Front. Most of these sites are part of a self-guided tour, allowing you to appreciate the rich history at your own pace. However, it's important to note that not all buildings and locations are fully accessible to the public. Many can only be viewed from the outside due to their historic condition, locations, or private ownership. Some sites may also require reservations. Always be safety-minded and respectful of property when exploring this historic city. These locations hold great significance in the history of the city and the WWII Home Front.

Cultural tourism has many benefits for Richmond. Culture and heritage tourists often stay longer and spend a lot more money in general than other tourists do. In fact, one study showed that a culture and heritage tourist spent as much as 38% higher per day and they stayed 22% longer overall compared to other kinds of travelers.

Generally, the benefits of heritage tourism can be categorized into three groups: economic, social, and environmental. As they tend to be the highest focus for destinations and policymakers the economic benefits are listed first

Economic Benefits of Cultural and Heritage Tourism

• Injects new money into the economy, boosting businesses and tax revenues 
• Creates new jobs, businesses, events, and attractions, thus helping diversify the local economy 
• Supports small businesses and enables them to expand 
• Promotes the active preservation and protection of important local resources 
• Builds vital relationships among and within local communities
• Helps encourage the development and maintenance of new/existing community amenities 

Social Benefits of Cultural and Heritage Tourism 

• Helps build social capital
• Promotes preservation of local traditions, customs, and culture. UNESCO now recognizes intangible cultural heritage as being as important as buildings.  A market for experiences and traditional projects provides the economic support for keeping these skills and traditions alive
• Promotes positive behavior 
• Helps improve the community’s image and pride
• Promotes community beautification
• Builds opportunities for healthy and useful community relationships and partnerships
• Provides research, education, and work-placement opportunities for students
• Creates enjoyable opportunities for both local residents and visitors attracted to the cultural arts, history, and preservation
• Boosts local investment in heritage resources and amenities that support tourism services 
• There is evidence that helping maintain buildings of character culture and heritage tourism can contribute to precincts’ innovation and business diversification.  Small businesses based in amazing buildings are typically innovators and provide a core for other larger businesses.

Environmental Benefits of Cultural and Heritage Tourism 

• Heritage tourism helps encourage a culture of preservation
• Boost awareness of the tourist site, attraction, or area’s significance
• Helps encourage local residents and visitors to be mindful of their impact on the natural and built environment 

Like Richmond today, the City’s role in WWII was a multi-cultural and multi-racial effort, boosting the involvement of women and minorities as never before in American history. It was not all roses, however, as Park Ranger Betty Reid Soskin has also told that part of the story, but as she also told us, the positives far outweighed the negatives and set the stage for subsequent victories in the struggle for civil rights.

Instead of Liberty and Victory ships, they built Higgins boats in New Orleans, and that city is now home of the National WWII Museum, which is touted as the “#1 attraction in New Orleans.”

I had hoped that the City of Richmond would have embraced its role in WWII and the benefits of cultural tourism, but that doesn’t seem to be happening. See “City of Richmond a No-show at Important Civic Events.”

When Rosie the Riveter Trust held its annual fund-raising gala in October, not a single Richmond City Council member or staff member attended.

The second events was last night at Salesians Boys and Girls Club, the 25th Anniversary Gala fundraiser of Rosie the Riveter Trust, the nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, supporting projects and programs that enhance the mission of Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park by saving historic structures, such as the Maritime Child Development Center, and inspiring young people with programs such as Rosie’s Service Corps. The Trust has raised millions of dollars for such programs.

Again, there was not a single Richmond City Council member or City staff member in attendance, although several City Council members from other cities were present.

Eleven actual Rosies attended, ranging in age from 98 to 109! Each was introduced with a short summary of their Home Front experience.

At last week’s fund-raising galla for the SS Red Oak Victory, there were no Richmond City Council or staff members present, even though the Port of Richmond office is adjacent to the ship where the event was held.

Tomorrow, the eviction trial for the Riggers Loft Wine Company begins, even though the Riggers Loft has brought that building to life, brought many visitors to Richmond, protected it and more than repaid the City’s investment in its rehabilitation. In contrast, next door to the Riggers Loft (and also adjacent to the Port of Richmond office), the historic but vacant General Warehouse continues to be trashed with refuse and graffiti.

Figure 1 - Riggers Loft


Figure 2 - General Warehouse

I hesitate to even bring up Winehaven, which was a critical fueling station for the Pacific fleet in WWII. The City is deliberately neglecting it as it continues to disintegrate.