Arts as a way to attract tourists

This article mentions a number of ways Vancouver artists groups are trying to boost the city's arts visibility among tourists.

Arts Features | Artists court tourist dollars | Straight.com Vancouver, 6/21/07: Sarah Kirby Yung, director of marketing and corporate sponsorship with Tourism Vancouver, insists that's happening. "It [culture] is a very important part of selling the destination," she says. For the past five years, she notes, Tourism Vancouver has operated Tickets Tonight, a community box office that offers half-price, day-of tickets. The agency also offers a variety of packages to visitors that can include discount tickets to cultural events in the city. Organizations have to sign on to be involved in those promotions, and a Tourism Vancouver membership is required to get in on the agency's direct-to-consumer marketing. That involves a fee, but Kirby Yung says the agency does not publicize its membership rates....

With his limited marketing budget, [Howard Jang, general manager of the Arts Club Theatre] has had to be resourceful in attracting visitors. For example, the Arts Club operates a concierge program with 78 local hotels: in exchange for directing visitors to performances at the theatre, concierges pick up a small commission and are invited to attend shows for free. It's a tactic borrowed from the local restaurant industry–which, incidentally, is enjoying a worldwide reputation."