ABSTRACT
The two previous chapters have included a discussion of two issues: first, the extent to which people go to the theatre or a concert when they are tourists and second, how important the arts are in attracting people to a destination (whether it be town, city or country). Both of these were looked at, first, from the viewpoint of the arts and then from the tourism viewpoint. It was seen that there can be large numbers of tourists in some audiences and that the arts can play an important role in attracting tourists to a destination. It looks therefore as if the two (arts and tourism) are mutually beneficial. The continuing interest, by tourism and arts organizations, in the arts–tourism relationship suggests that there may be some benefit for both in the relationship. The beneficial aspects of the relationship were recognized early by the American Council for the Arts (1981). The English Tourist Board considers that the arts and tourism ‘have a complementary relationship and are heavily reliant upon each other’ (ETB, 1993: 4). The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), as the body 152responsible for transportation and port facilities in the region (including the airports), clearly has an interest in tourism. It has carried out major studies of tourism in the region but also, significantly, of the relationship with the arts. The Port Authority's most recent study showed they are ‘closely intertwined’ (Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, 1993, 1994). In the Policy Studies Institute report mentioned in previous chapters, it was stated that ‘it is self-evident that the arts and tourism enjoy a complementary relationship. The arts create attractions for tourism and tourism supplies extra audiences for the arts’ (Myerscough, 1988: 80).
