Culture vultures spurring tourism growth
Cultural destinations have seen a 51% rise in sales from 2000 to 2005, with tourists increasingly willing to spend their travel and leisure time on more educational visits.
According to Euromonitor International’s latest report, “The World Market for Travel and Tourism”, even destinations lacking any cultural attraction are creating events such as music, film and art festivals to broaden their appeal.
Sporting events are also a growing attraction, with increasing numbers of people willing to travel to watch major world events, such as the Olympics and the World Cup.
Beijing, host of the 2008 Olympics, is a key example of how sporting events can benefit the tourism infrastructure.
Euromonitor global travel and tourism manager Caroline Bremner said: “This huge event is expected to provide a platform for showcasing both Beijing and China. Beijing is investing 180 billion RMB in 142 urban infrastructure projects, including the construction of subways, light railways, motorways and airports”.
With a number of high-profile sporting events coming up in the next few years, including the Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean this year, the Football World Cup in South Africa in 2010 and the 2012 Olympics in London, Euromonitor advises both travel and tourism companies and host countries alike to prepare themselves well, in order to take advantage of these forthcoming “goldmines” of opportunity.
Bremner said: “Tourism has become one of the world’s biggest and fastest growing industries, with global visitor numbers growing by 16% over 2004 and 2005 to reach 118.6 million. As a result, towns, cities and regions have started to aggressively market their natural and historical attributes in order to encourage visitors.
“The growth of attractions such as historic buildings/sites, art galleries and museums is also a reflection of demographic changes, such as ageing populations. In particular the baby-boomer generation is helping to give rise to the trend towards more cultural types of attractions”.
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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