Theatres as the driver for Tourism development and Place Branding
The 7 arts of Gandharva Veda useful tool for Place branding – 3
Strategies for Executive for Place Branding
Tactics for the Chief Executive Officers responsible for Export
Approaches for the Chief Executive Officers responsible for Country Image
Strategies for the Chief Executive Officers responsible for Tourism
Immutable Strategic Formulas for Chief Executive Officer
(CEO-Logy, the science of CEO’s working based on Shukra Niti)
(Examples from Shukra Niti helpful for Chief executive Officer)
Successful Strategies for successful Chief executive Officer – 357
Guidelines for Chief Officers (CEO) series – 357
s= आधी अ
By Bhishma Kukreti (Management Acharya)
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अनेकरूपाविर्भावकृतिज्ञानं कला स्मृता II
The performances of and various knowledge of imitation is an Art and part of Gandhrva Veda.
(Shukraneeti, Chapter 7 Vidya VA Kala Nirupan- II47 II
Imitation or Drama or Theatre art is one of oldest art. We have records those tell that theatres had been attracting the tourism and theatre had been the drivers for place branding from old time. For example, old cultural history of Roma and Greece are best examples for showing that theatres had bee attracting tourists and theatres were drivers for city images.
Today too, theatres are the driver for tourism and place branding and New York and London are best examples for theatre tourism.
Theatre tourism means that someone travels for watching a stage play or drama to a particular city (for that matter in today, context films).
For example, tourists visit London for visiting following theatre places (2) –
1-Royal Opera House – For various world class shows
2-Eligabethian Play House or Shakespeare Globe (Globe theatre )
3- Young Vic- Young vic is famous for showing innovative , challenging work and audience can find world famous artists performing there. Young Vic attracts younger tourists.
4- Sadler’s Wells – Sadler’s Wells is one of the world’s leading dance venue.
5-National Theatre- Various shows are performed here in three theatres including Shakespeare dramas.
6-Barbican centre is famous for shows and concerts.
7-London Coliseum, – is the largest theatres in London.
8- Regent Par’s Open Air Theatre – It is famous for summer shows including Shakespeare dramas
9-Old Vic- Is Iconic theatre
10-Unicorn Theatre is dedicated to young audience.
London attracts minimum of 3 million of overseas visitors due to theatre shows.
Followings are top theatre destinations –
1-London
2-New York
3-Mosco ,Russia
4-Milan ,Italy
5-Sulberg, Austria
6- Paris, France
7- Melbourne , Australia
8-Tokyo Japan
9- Boston USA
10- Edinburg , Scotland
11- Athens, Greece
In fact, theatre tourism is branch of Art tourism and art tourism is part of especial interest tourism.
Theatre Tourism has benefits for regional attractiveness.
The especial characteristics of Theatre tourism are as follows (3)-
A-Content and Container duality- Depending upon the theatre, the audience is either attracted to the whole environment of the theatre place Container and content) or limited to the particular drama (content only.
B- It is recommended to sell the theatre experience to the audience .than the price or product.
C- Apart from showing the actual content (Play or Programme), cultural products must be in or surrounding the theatre destination.
Llufs suggested following future characteristics for establishing/ promoting theatre tourism(3) –
1-There must be language barrier management (it is possible in Big Cities to have English as theatre language) but city like Pune should focus on Marathi to attract Marathi speaking audience from nearby locations.
2- The life span of production should be long
3- Different types of shows should be available in a city.
4-There must be some strong cultural attraction inside the theatre or surrounding the theatre.
5- The theatre should promote itself as pilgrimage.
6- There must be in-house services available to the audience.
7- Theatre as well as city or place -self-government should promote the theatres atleast at the starting points.
Benefits of Theatre Tourism to the locality ot to theatre
1-Internationalization can increase the resources for the theatre and locality too.
2-Tourists will generate new audience
3- Tourists create new jobs for the locality
4-tourists are helpful to increase production age or numbers of shows increase of a stage play.
5- Tourists increase the tourist season.
Theatre is a very strong driver for tourism development and local development .
Reference –
1-Shukraniti, Manoj Pocket Books, Delhi pp 220
2- Best Theatre in London 5/72021, web site of Visit London (official Visit Guide) visitlondon.com
3- Santamarta Espufia Llufs, 2019, Tourism Theatre to be or not to be ?, Tourism and Heritage Journal Vol. 1 pages –133- 143
Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti, 2021