Thursday, July 20, 2006

Music and culture drive Texas economy

Texas has been the most proactive state government in terms of promoting local music. The Texas Commission on the Arts figures that for every $1 it gives out in grant money, $98 in economic activity is generated.

According to a 2001 report, cultural arts were responsible for 19.8 percent of the tourism in the state.

Austin has done particularly well. In 2005, South by Southwest generated $30.9 million for the local economy and the Austin City Limits Festival generated $26.3 million, according to the Austin Visitors and Convention Bureau (AVCB). The total economic activity generated by Austin's music industry in 2005 was more than $600 million. It created nearly 11,200 jobs and $11 million in sales tax revenue.

To read more, go to: The Arts Economy.

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