ABSTRACT
<<ABSTRACT In the twenty-first century blockbuster exhibitions are underpinned by state-based tourism initiatives. This has forced a decline in the rate of touring blockbusters in favour of single-venue exhibitions that enable the economic return to be contained. This chapter examines the shifting funding context for cultural institutions to argue that this has precipitated a more competitive approach. Moreover, increasingly affordable travel, especially cheaper domestic flights, within Australia has meant that targeting domestic tourism is a sensible goal that has tangible benefits for state economies. Blockbusters are now essential elements of destination-marketing campaigns – alongside sporting and other international events – valued as much by governments as institutions for the wider economic benefit they bring.
Key exhibitions
The Impressionists: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay, Melbourne, 2004
The First Emperor: China’s Entombed Warrior, Sydney, 2010–11>>
