Culture vultures

CULTURE VULTURES

Tim Mescon Tim Mescon uncovers the economic power of cultural tourism.

Words by Timothy S. Mescon, Ph.D.

The Georgia Aquarium (www.georgiaaquarium.org), which opened late last year, is the biggest aquarium in the world. It sits on more than nine acres of land near downtown Atlanta’s Centennial Park, where it holds a mind-numbing 8,000,000 gallons of water and more than 100,000 animals. It was envisioned and funded by Bernie Marcus, cofounder of Home Depot. Marcus’ dream has left a legacy—a gift to Atlanta and the state of Georgia that promises to attract more than two million tourists annually. It’s a great example of the power—and economic impact—of cultural tourism.

According to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, or NASAA (www.nasaa-arts.org), cultural tourism is based on a mosaic of traditions, art, celebrations and experiences that portray a nation and its people. As Garrison Keillor, author and host of radio’s “A Prairie Home Companion,” described it in an address to a White House conference on travel and tourism: “It’s what tourism is. … People don’t come to America for our airports, our hotels or the recreation facilities… They come for our culture—they come here to see America.”

The Aquarium will soon have a neighbor, The World of Coca-Cola. And nearby Centennial Park is also home to concerts, art festivals and ice skating. This concentration of tourism venues—located just minutes from the enormous convention complex at the Georgia World Congress Center, the Georgia Dome and Phillips Arena—creates a vortex of activity, which is contributing mightily to a dramatic revitalization at the core of downtown Atlanta.

All across the country, cultural tourism initiatives are rejuvenating communities. Two hours away, in Chattanooga, for example, the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum (www.internationaltowingmuseum.org), a venue that displays restored antique wreckers and equipment, has played a key role in the development of the city’s downtown area. And Chicago is probably the epicenter for some of the best practices in cultural tourism, with its splendid museums that include the Adler Planetarium, Field Museum of Natural History, Museum of Science and Industry and The Art Institute of Chicago.

The National Governors Association, with research assistance from NASAA and support from the National Endowment for the Arts, has produced a report called The Role of the Arts in Economic Development, which reveals how the arts revitalize communities and help states remain competitive in today’s economy. Cultural investments have the potential to become economic development annuities that provide an enormous fi nancial return for their host communities. It’s well documented that governments reap sizable revenues from arts-related activities—around $790 million at the local level, $1.2 billion at the state level and $3.4 billion at the federal level. No wonder so many organizations are allocating funds for cultural development.

In California, for instance, arts and cultural organizations in rural communities alone generate $6.8 million in tax revenue for the state and jobs for 1,400 people.

Clearly the stakes are high. The chance to capture a small piece of the billions of dollars spent annually on tourism is incredibly appealing to governors, mayors and economic development experts looking for the next great opportunity for their communities.