The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is reporting its progress on identifying, protecting, and using historic properties to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) and Secretary of the Interior (SOI) for the period October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2023, pursuant to Section 3 of Executive Order (EO) 13287 – Preserve America.
Each year, millions of travelers visit America’s historic places. The National Trust for Historic Preservation defines heritage tourism as “traveling to experience the places, artifacts, and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present.” A high percentage of domestic and international travelers participate in cultural and/or heritage activities while traveling, and those that do stay longer, spend more, and travel more often.
The Preserve America Executive Order (EO 13287) directs federal agencies to advance the protection, enhancement, and contemporary use of federal historic properties and to promote partnerships for the preservation and use of historic properties, particularly through heritage tourism.
