Bundling the arts for tourism to complement urban heritage tourist experiences in Asia

Abstract

City administrations in Asia frequently try to establish or design architecturally grand art hubs or precincts to make a statement about the international status and appeal of their cities. Meanwhile, many of the tourists whom they are hoping to attract continue to visit organically or spontaneously developed art clusters in various heritage settings where they can sample a city's distinct cultural identity and artistic expression. This niche tourism helps put these clusters on the map long before they are acknowledged and promoted by destination-marketing organizations. For ease of consumption, the non-government art organizations at these locations recognize that their best chance of reaching a greater market is when their activities are bundled into products that appeal to such tourists. Using a case study approach, this phenomenon has been examined over 3 years in urban heritage precincts in Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions, China. As art spaces are dynamic and changing, bundling allows for the creation of events reflecting local art scenes and spirit of place at the city center and on the periphery, appealing to international and regional tourists who have a varying depth of interest in arts.

Keywords:

• destination marketing
• art management
• Asian cities
• urban periphery

Notes

SARs of the People's Republic of China.

John Batten, personal email, 2008.

John Batten, personal email, 2008.

Dominic Chan, interview, 2011.

Koos Groot, interview, 2008 and 2010.

Interviews with four Fotanian artists conducted by students, 2011.

One author's observations which were also discussed with own students and several participants.

Winnie Chan, interviews, 2010 and 2011.

Interviews with Fotanian artists conducted by students, 2011.

Cheng Wai Fai, interview, 2008.

Winnie Chan, Dominic Chan and several other gallery owners, interviews, 2010–2011.