Creative Tourism Providing a Competitive Edge

What is creative tourism?

Creative tourism is a form of cultural tourism and has been described as ‘Tourism which offers visitors the opportunity to develop their creative potential through active participation in courses and learning experiences, which are characteristic of the holiday destination where they are taken.’ [1]

A further definition, used by Catriona Campbell to describe her creative tourism business [2] is:

'Tourism that offers visitors a creative pursuit (including arts, crafts and cookery workshops), with the opportunity to stay in high quality accommodation, and to connect with local people in a distinctive destination.'

'Tourism motivated wholly, or in part by interest in the historical, artistic or lifestyle/heritage offerings of a tourism destination’ and emerged to meet the demand from visitors looking for more than ‘sun, sea and sand’ mass market experiences. It encourages arts and tourism sectors to work more closely together and it encompasses visits to enjoy visual and performing arts, museums, galleries, heritage attractions, artists open studios, art fairs, auctions, public art and architecture, films, festivals and other cultural events.'

Why creative tourism?

Creative tourism is not new, people have been engaging in creative educational and learning experiences on holiday for a long time, but it is growing in popularity. More people are looking for authentic experiences and want to engage with local communities as well as, or instead of, being passive consumers of cultural experiences provided in the destination.

Connection and authentic experiences

Research sponsored by Enjoy England [4] shows that people want more time, space and energy, and a greater sense of wellbeing and are demonstrating a growing desire to connect with each other and feel more in touch with local communities. A creative tourism break can provide this and also provide people with a sense of achievement through learning a new skill. Also, by creating their own souvenir, whether a painting, crafted object, poem or even a recipe, people are more likely to have a lasting emotional attachment for the creative tourism destination, to talk, blog or tweet about in a positive way and to return again.

The roots of creative tourism, as we now understand it, probably go back to the mid-1990s when the European Commission funded the Eurotex project [5] to help craft producers in Portugal who needed to distinguish their handmade goods from those that were mass produced. It was realised that unless people understood what work went into making these goods they would not pay a realistic price for them. As a result the Alto Minho craft trail was developed that allowed visitors to meet the crafters, watch them at work and participate in the making of textiles [6].

Since then many destinations around the world have been considering and developing their own versions of creative tourism products, partly in recognition that people want participatory experiences but also because they are looking for new ways to interact with their visitors to provide differentiation from competing destinations.

Cultural tourism has been seen by many destinations as the antidote for low quality mass tourism but many visitors are now becoming disillusioned by traditional cultural mass market experiences. At the Santa Fe Creative Tourism Conference in 2008, Greg Richards stated [7]:

'Trooping through cathedrals or museums or art galleries with hundreds of other people is increasingly being seen as an experience to be avoided rather than desired.'

Developing creative potential

Creative tourism allows visitors to get even closer to local people through participation in interactive workshops and informal learning experiences that draw on the culture of their holiday destinations and, at the same time, develop their creative potential.

Creative tourism experiences offered around the world are diverse:

• bone carving with Maori tutors delivered through Creative New Zealand
• gastronomic breaks in Barcelona where participants learn about and shop for produce in La Boquera, the outdoor market, before being taught how to cook them
• Native American pottery workshops in Santa Fe to Ceòlas
• a music and dance summer school in South Uist, Scotland, featuring tuition in piping, fiddling, singing, dancing and the Gaelic language.

Is there a market for creative tourism?

There is a huge growth in interest in undertaking craft activities and a significant number of people interested in participating in the arts. Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) research indicated that 17% of the population took part in a craft activity in 2008/9 [8].

Satisfying environmental and nostalgic needs

The ‘Make Do and Mend’ movement, last seen in the UK in the 40s, is also being revived, in part due to the recession but also because of (particularly young people’s) concern for the planet.

People want to learn skills no longer taught in schools in interesting fun venues (not a description that could be applied to most adult education centres) and businesses are beginning to respond to this demand. The success of The Make Lounge in Islington, London that offers; ‘Contemporary craft workshops with a stylish, social twist – perfect for embracing the ‘make do and mend’ ethic in a fashionable way’ has encouraged others to provide similar offerings in a variety of locations. These include Craft Guerilla in East London, Craft Mafia which has chapters in Nottingham, Manchester and Glasgow and COW at The Custard Factory in Birmingham.

Amongst the top 20 worldwide trends forecast for 2010 [9] is that the ‘Make It Yourself’ movement will become culturally acceptable across all social groups as people become nostalgic for past times and conspicuous consumption continues to be seen as unacceptable in difficult economic times. The popularity of Kirsty’s Homemade Home on Channel 4 in 2009 is another example of this.

A short break with a difference

The recession is also encouraging more people to want to ‘escape’ from their routines even if only for a short time and to desire a small treat occasionally. A short break away from home that also offers the opportunity to learn a new skill will fulfil this desire and will become increasingly popular.

Destinations and operators should look to their existing short break cultural tourism market profiles to find segments within that will respond to a creative tourism message. In addition they should look at creative professionals who are known to want to undertake creative activities outside of the workplace to enhance their existing artistic practice or as part of continuing professional development.

Domestic and overseas visitor appeal

There is definitely a market for creative tourism amongst domestic visitors, including those concerned with reducing their carbon footprint, those who are cash rich and time poor (and unable to commit to long courses) and people wishing to take up a creative pursuit or revisit one they have not undertaken since leaving school.

There also appears to be a groups market, particularly female groups, for hen parties and ‘girly’ weekends for example. Creative pursuits are also likely to appeal to single travellers of all nationalities who know that they will share a common interest with the people they meet on a break.

In addition to providing differentiation and an added dimension to existing cultural experiences, creative tourism provides destinations and operators with good opportunities to extend their season as it is not usually weather dependent.

For overseas markets, visitors who respond to cultural tourism messages are also likely to be interested in the added dimension that creative tourism offers, particularly the opportunity to meet local people in distinctive settings. Venues like castles, stately homes and other attractions should all consider whether they can add the opportunity to engage in a creative pursuit to enhance the visitor experience.

The market profile

Research undertaken amongst participants of two pilot creative tourism events in 2009 [10] showed that participants were predominantly female, aged 45 plus and likely to have children who are teenagers or who have now left home. The other large group was younger women aged between 22 and 30 with busy full-time jobs and no children. The participants also included creative professionals looking to add to their artistic practice and teachers wishing to ‘be on the other side for a change!’

This research echoes the findings of segmentation research undertaken by the Art Council [11] into the English population’s engagement with the arts. This research identified thirteen arts consumer segments, including those most interested in participating in the arts. Two of the groups identified were:

• Urban arts eclectic (5% of English adults)

  Highly qualified, young – half under 35, with no children, living in urban areas, affluent, and in the early stages of their career. One sixth from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. This segment contains the most active arts participants with interests ranging from dance, computer art, photography, music and creative writing.

• Traditional culture vultures (4% of English adults)

  Majority are women, two thirds aged 45 to 74, living with a partner without any children, highly educated, high proportion (25%) living in rural areas and their interest in the arts extends into their participation in textile arts, photography, playing musical instruments, painting and drawing.

It is possible to conclude that those people already interested in and actively engaging in the arts and culture will also be motivated by creative tourism opportunities.

Developing a creative offer

Beautiful, unusual and distinctive venues will inspire all sorts of creativity, including painting, photography, sculpture and creative writing. The opportunity to cook with local ingredients is also motivating. As previously mentioned, Barcelona offers gastronomy breaks and, in the UK, Padstow is renowned not only for its fish restaurants run by Rick Stein but also for the cookery courses his business provides at the Padstow Seafood School. These are particularly popular with women looking for unusual milestone birthday presents for their partner or husband.

Through looking at the creative tourism development experiences of countries around the world it will help destinations and operators in the UK develop their own offer. Several examples are provided in a book compiled from presentations given at a creative tourism conference in Santa Fe 2008 [12].

A different experience is described by Caroline Couret who is responsible for Barcelona Creative Tourism (BCT). Funded by La Fundació Societat i Cultura (FUSIC) a non-profit cultural organisation. BCT launched in 2006 and acts as a facilitator, matching ‘creative tourists’ with cultural and creative activities through www.barcelonacreativa.info.

The organisation develops customised solutions for creative tourists; from those who wish to develop their artistic skills to those with more sophisticated projects, for example an orchestra in London who wishes to organise a concert. Their assistance ranges from providing advice and information to event design and technical production, as well as tailormade creative itineraries.

Examples given include those of helping a French band who wished to learn Catalan rumba music originating in Barcelona; BCT created a programme that also included jam sessions with a local group. They also organised a stay for art students who wanted to work with Barcelona creatives, which included an exhibition of their own work.

In effect BCT act as a ground handler for creative tourism in Barcelona whilst being subsidised by public funds.

New Zealand

One of the most illuminating examples is the experience of Creative Tourism New Zealand (CTNZ). It was started in 2003 by Crispin Raymond and Greg Richards who are credited with first identifying and naming creative tourism.

The creative workshops were delivered by tutors in their own homes in Nelson, on South Island, an area already known for its thriving arts community. Subjects included bronze casting, bone carving and seafood cookery. Despite hard work and persistence and enthusiasm from those who attended, the lack of a clearly targeted marketing campaign resulted in insufficient participants to make the project financially viable in the longer term.

CTNZ is currently considering whether to seek additional private capital and work with an established tourism partner with existing tourism distribution or whether to establish a Trust and develop a wider community network and seek more public funding.

Current UK offers

Some tour operators already using creative pursuits in the UK as part of their offer and include Warner Holidays, Saga and lastminute.com who are offering a range of creative activities from ‘Strictly Ballroom’ dancing breaks, to song writing and recording, chocolate making, wine appreciation and safari park photography.

There are examples of non-residential Arts Centres providing creative workshops and that appear to be considering and promoting to visitor markets and linking to accommodation and other tourism providers. These include Craft in the Bay in Cardiff, home of the Makers Guild of Wales, offering one to three day creative workshop breaks to a maximum group size of 8 and New Brewery Arts in Cirencester.

Residential centres for creative breaks in England include; Farncombe, near Broadway in the Cotswolds and Flatford Mill, close to the Suffolk/Essex border West Dean in Sussex and Missenden Abbey in Buckinghamshire, and other members of Adult Residential Colleges.

Whilst some areas of the UK have pockets of creative tourism products, no single destination has yet developed a strong creative tourism profile. However, Herefordshire, on the border of England and Wales, is probably the most advanced in this respect.

The Creative Breaks Association was set up in 2000 with the assistance of Herefordshire Council to introduce visitors to Herefordshire to local artists and craftspeople. Creative Breaks – in and around Herefordshire offer more than 300 courses, workshops and holidays on topics ranging from crafts and painting to cooking and earth oven building.

Northumberland Tourism is exploring creative tourism and in 2009 worked with Made in Northumberland to bring tourism providers together with artists. Visit Northumberland includes pages devoted to Northumberland crafts and a link to the Northumberland artists and crafters network, some of whom deliver workshops.

Kent’s Creative Coast

Visit Kent is currently working with Campbell on the Create in Kent programme to position the county as the place to be creative in the UK, and in particular to develop the Kent’s Creative Coast brand.

The aim is to encourage positive perceptions of Kent’s Coast, to increase visitor spend and seasonality, for the benefit of tourism providers, the creative communities and the wider Kent economy.

The programme comprises the following.

1. Business training and coaching to support and encourage:

• creative individuals and groups who wish to develop taster creative workshops
• tourism businesses (including food producers such as vineyards) who wish to appeal to visitors interested in creative tourism products.

2. Facilitation to develop creative tourism products.

3. Promotion of creative tourism products through their website, blog, Twitter and other social, e-marketing and media relations.

As a first step in the development of the programme, a creative tourism workshop was organised in November 2009, for creative professionals and tourism providers from destinations along the coast to communicate the opportunities presented by creative tourism and to encourage partnership working. The response was excellent from both tourism and arts delegates and training is planned for early 2010 with the aim to have creative tourism products ready for promotion later this year.

Some of the ideas being developed include:

• hotel accommodation combined with an arts or crafts workshop
• watercolour painting in a stately home
• stone carving or sculpture in the grounds of a castle
• cookery workshops using Kent produce in farmhouses, vineyards or restaurant
• walking and cycling tours with photography tuition.

Conclusion

Creative tourism development around the world, including the UK, shows that it has mainly been driven by arts providers and public funding, and when this money dries up, projects have found it difficult to continue. For creative tourism in the UK to be successful it needs to be driven by the tourism sector that has existing routes to market and business development expertise.

The benefits of creative tourism for tourism providers include the opportunities to enhance existing cultural experiences and to provide differentiation from the competition. For destinations it not only offers opportunities to provide local authentic experiences and to extend the season, but also delivers additional economic benefits to creative professionals delivering the learning experiences and for the wider community living and working there.

Even with the current downturn in the economy many people still feel that a holiday is fundamental. A break that combines the opportunity to learn a new skill and take home a unique souvenir, a change of scene in high-quality accommodation in a distinctive location, and the sharing of an experience with people with a common interest, can provide a competitive edge for many destinations.

References

1. Raymond C. and Richards G. ATLAS (Association for Tourism and Leisure Academics) Newsletter (2000).
2. Campbell C . www.catrionacampbell.co.uk (2009).
3. Briggs S. How you can benefit from Cultural Tourism. Visit Britain Advisory Guide (2005).
4. What is the Future of Domestic Tourism to 2015? Enjoy England sponsored presentation by the Henley Centre at the TMI Convention. 20-21 September 2005.
5. www.atlas-euro.org/pages/content/pgeurotex.htm
6. Richards G. Developing and Marketing Crafts Tourism (1999).
7. Richards G. Creative Tourism and Local Development. Santa Fe Creative Tourism Conference (2008).
8. DCMS. The National Survey of Culture Leisure and Sport (December 2009).
9. www.trendhunter.com/trendreports
10. Two ‘Escape to Create’ events, providing a range of creative workshops for visitors to Whitstable were organised in July and October 2009 www.createinwhitstable.co.uk
11. Arts Audiences Insights. Arts Council (August 2008) www.artscouncil.org.uk
12. Creative Tourism. A Global Conversation (2009). Edited by Rebecca Wurzburger, Tom Aageson, Alex Pattakos and Sabrina Pratt. Sunstone Press.

About the author

Catriona Campbell (www.catrionacampbell.co.uk) started her career with five years at Contiki Travel, an international tour operator. She then moved to the London Tourist Board where she held the position of Marketing Director for ten years. Campbell then established her own marketing consultancy specialising in brand development where clients included England, the Yorkshire Dales, Derbyshire, Cumbria, Rye, Medway and Kent, and many private companies in tourism and other sectors. In 2009 she set up Escape to Create, a business that organises creative breaks. She combines this with creative tourism consultancy and is currently working with Visit Kent to develop creative tourism products on Kent’s coast.