Practitioner perspectives on arts tourism marketing

Abstract

Public sector organizations in the UK, especially those responsible for tourism and leisure services, have embraced the private (business/commercial enterprise) sector paradigm apparently in order to improve efficiency, increase usage and provide higher levels of customer service. This paper presents the findings of an initial study of UK arts and leisure managers responsible for the marketing of their venues and services. Applying an interpretivist methodology, the study identifies perceptions and applications of marketing concepts to this highly sensitive area of cultural development and expression. Key marketing tools are identified and their suitability for use in achieving sponsor, provider and customer objectives evaluated, as is the impact of marketing activity. The rationale for (marketing) decision‐making is explored. The methodology developed and employed in this research is transportable to other marketing applications and is therefore significant in terms of research development. The discussion and conclusions show the way forward to this end, particularly within the tourism and leisure field, which is the immediate focus of this study.