International Cultural Tourism ConferencePärnu, 7 May 2009

Tell Me Your Story Culture and Tourism Meet in a Shared Narrative

Dr Dragan KlaicPermanent Fellow, Felix Meritis (Amsterdam)

Visiting Professor, Central European University (Budapest)www.draganklaic.eu

(c) D. Klaic 2009

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Culture & tourism: odd bedfellows

Easily assumed synergy Tourism furthers trivia, nostalgia, entertainment Mass tourism detrimental for cultural goods Tourism tends to reduce culture to economic value Branding in tourism furthers cultural uniformity, not cultural

diversity BUT tourism sharpens intercultural competence and

engagement Culture upgrades tourist offer and strengthens the appeal

to an upscale public

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Concrete jungles, cultural deserts

• Italian Adriatic coast (Rimini, Ricchione, Catholica...)

• Costa del Sol, Marbella, Algarve

• Istrian Adriatic coast

• Montenegro coast

• Northern shore of Crete

• Too much ugly construction

• terror of sameness,

• wild development

• entertainment instead of culture

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Presently, Pärnu resources are

disconnected, fragmented low profile unspecific need selectivity, upgrading and synergy Culture could become an organizing paradigm TIP: connect CULTURE with HISTORY,

NATURE and WELLNESS

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Cultural strategy

A broad alliance to unite stakeholders: politicians civil servants tourist operators other commercial entrepreneurs culture professionals civil society activists

WHO IS THE POSSIBLE CATALYST OF AN EMERGING ALLIANCE?

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Strategic goals

Address multiple distinct target groups of visitors: vacationers, convention participants, day trippers, beech lovers, eco-tourists, wellness fans, culture lovers, history buffs...

Prevent young creative people from leaving town

Attract creative people to settle, visit, stay longer or shorter

Stretch the season beyond summer months

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Go beyond the standard offer

• Sun, sea, sand

• Golf course

• Mini safari

• Casino

• Nostalgia: stores, old steam train, old autos

• Festivals of all sorts

• Cheap unhealthy food

• Noisy disco's

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Possible interventions

Strengthen educational infrastructure as a local knowledge base and creativity base

Greening the city, eco-upgrading, recycling Cyber city: free WIFI zone, improve web

presentation, better clips to Youtube, public library as a paper and digi info hub

Develop wellness products offer Upgrade cultural constellation & offer

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What else can be done?

• Affirm public place, reduce aggressive advertising

• Outskirt parking, free shuttle buses

• Pedestrian zones, bike routes, bike rental

• Gastronomy and take away gastronomic products

• Connect beach fun & urban experience with the nearby farm “do it yourself” options

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3 realms of culture

cultural industrynew devices, platforms and formats

profit, power, appeal

contemp. creativity cult. heritagefragile, risky, divisive endangered, material &

immaterial

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Cultural heritage

Seek architectural harmony Connect historic layers and styles New functions in historic architecture Impose a strong conservation regime Reveal, interpret, publicize restoration processes Historic signposting throughout the city: reveal the

past Print and digital interpretation of local history Connect small museums: cluster, integrate, coordinate

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Contemporary creativity

Artist in residence program Eco-art projects Artistic design for local souvenirs. Impose collective trade

marks Display local artists' work in hotels, restaurants, pubs Clear, comprehensible templates and themes Experiment with participative art opportunities (creativity

/wellness connection) Consolidate festival offer: make it selective, coherent,

surprising. Add photography, video, literature components

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Cultural industry

Derive from the educational infrastructure Gather, cluster start ups: incubator culture/wellness/nature Be patient! No quick fix.

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Invent a narrative

What is Pärnu all about? Invoke the past but look at the future

Go beyond a slogan Integrate narrative development in the strategic

planning Include, don't impose Use the emerging narrative framework to

mobilize locals Integrate the narrative in the products and in

the marketing

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Hanseatic days 2010

Skip trivia: market, festival, feast or something else? A medieval market: quality crafts or junk? Craft workshops, traditional games, dances, plays? What

else? What is the contemporary meaning of the Hanseatic

experience? Commercial, cultural, political? Deepen the grasp of history: Narration, impersonation,

hypothetic reconstruction, discussion Re-frame Hansa as a precursor of globalization and

intercultural competence Reveal cultural dimension of trade driven connectivity

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Alliance of stakeholders

• An inclusive but dynamic platform

• Strategic priorities, responsibilities and time lines

• Fiscal measures for local quality development

• Avoid consultants, bring in artists, peers, students and teachers

• Work with the media to consolidate residents support

• Learn from smaller coastal towns

• Profile own specifics, don't imitate