About Creative and Cultural Tourism
What is creative and cultural tourism?
Creative Tourism
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Title: Stonecarving workshop at Bovey Contemporary Craft Fair 2008. Artists: Shute Farm, photographer Simon Williams
Creative Tourism - a hands-on authentic feel for local culture
The term Creative Tourism was developed by Crispin Raymond and Greg Richards from Creative Tourism New Zealand who suggest that the term is a development from cultural tourism:
“Creative tourism is learning a skill on holiday that is part of the culture of the country or community being visited. Creative tourists develop their creative potential, and get closer to local people, through informal participation in interactive workshops and learning experiences that draw on the culture of their holiday destinations”
“While the cultural tourist enjoys visiting, say, a pottery studio or sampling a range of local foods, the creative tourist takes part in a pottery course or learns to cook local dishes. The creative tourist is always a participant, someone who learns by doing, someone who finds enjoyment and fulfilment in developing new abilities, someone who wants to interact with local people. As a result, creative tourists get closer to the cultures of the countries they visit”.
http://www.creativetourism.co.nz
Title: Infinity. Artist:David Commander, photographer David Commander
Example: Art Break
During a creative weekend you can explore the rural delights of Cornwall and at the same time learn how to paint. Art Breaks is run by local artist Mandy Baldwin from her Grade 11 listed traditional Cornish home in St Issey in North Cornwall. Art Break offers B&B accommodation as well as painting packages - see http://www.impressionz-art.co.uk to get a better picture of an example of Creative Tourism.
Example: The Garden House in Yelverton, Devon
http://www.thegardenhouse.org.uk/ Eight acres of colour and interest throughout the season, featuring 'naturalistic planting' within a beautiful South Devon landscape on the edge of mystical Dartmoor National Park.
The Garden House runs arts workshops using the gardens as a resource; they combine their resources with anything from cooking to botanical photography and jewellery making. A good example of how to attract visitors/customers using a wide range of innovative offers.
Title: Jazz and Blues Festival 08, Artists: The Plymouth Barbican's famous Southside Street was transformed when marching band Jambalaya led the Jazz Parade, Photographer Rob Ditcher
Cultural tourism (or culture tourism) is the subset of tourism concerned with a country or region's culture, especially its arts.
Cultural tourism can be urban or rural
Urban areas particularly include historic or large cities and their cultural facilities such as museums and theatres.
In rural areas, cultural tourism showcases the traditions of indigenous cultural communities (i.e. festivals, rituals), and their values and lifestyle.
Research suggests that cultural tourists spend substantially more than standard tourists do. Cultural tourism is becoming more popular throughout Europe.
It can incorporate a variety of cultural forms such as galleries, festivals, architecture, historic sites, artistic performances and events, museums and heritage sites that are the primary reason for people to visit a region.
Discovering and tasting local food and drink are also part of this rich mix of cultural experience and "destination dining" is a growth area of tourism and culinary art.
Title: Leaf Lantern. Designers: Glenn & Samantha pacha design, photographers: pacha design
Examples
Kitley House in the South Hams - an accommodation, leisure and conference facility, has developed a partnership with Candlelight Theatre who organise murder mystery nights for them. With approximately 13 weekends per year filling the gaps in their events calendar, an inclusive package of accommodation, food and murder mystery is offered to visitors. Highly successful, the partnership benefits the business by giving it more definition and depth and brings new people to Kitley House. See http://www.kitleyhousehotel.com and click on seasonal breaks.
Ways with Words Literary Festival at Dartington Hall attracts writers and visitors from across the UK and beyond and is an example of a cultural business working with an accommodation and conference facility in a unique rural setting. As you can see from their web site (http://www.wayswithwords.co.uk/) they run a number of other festivals as well as creative holidays abroad. Ways With Words promotes both the written and the spoken word and brings people together in beautiful surroundings to make contact with writers, journalists and experts in various fields - to talk, to argue, to listen, to engage and to learn.
