A recent exchange reported in the Guardian encapsulated the differing views of ‘tourism’ from the perspective of the tourists and the touristed. Examining how the picturesque seaside town of St Ives ‘became patient zero of British overtourism’, it reported the following exchange between a local and two surprised visitors:
You’re tourists!” a local shouts at two women. “Tourism is destroying!” Unphased, the women respond:“We’re doing a course at the School of Painting,” they say sadly. “It took us an hour and 40 minutes to park.”
These are clearly not any old tourists: these are creative tourists attracted by the artistic reputation of the town where Turner, Whistler and Sickert painted in the 19th Century, and where Alfred Wallis, Ben Nicholson and Christopher Wood laid the foundation for the St Ives School artists' colony in the 1920s.
Art classes at the School of Painting
The School of Painting is keen to attract such visitors with their offer of art holidays and Summer Art Classes (3hr):
“Short on time or looking to enhance your holiday? Take the chance to develop new skills and explore making art with these 3 hour art classes in our studios in St Ives.”
The School of Painting argues that “our art classes attract visitors and locals alike. Class sizes are small and our team of tutors are practicing artists with a passion for teaching.” The creative experiences on offer also reflect the special qualities of the place. Classes include Where Sea Meets Land, a Weekend Art Course on painting landscapes in oils:
“How to convey that fleeting moment when a wave crashes on the shore, its drama, energy and movement? Learn the secrets to capturing this dramatic encounter between sea and the land in oils.”
The course St Ives in Watercolour explores “ the streets and thoroughfares of St Ives. Working in watercolour, learn how to capture the character of this unique location.”
These offering capture much of the essence of creative tourism: the development of skills and creativity, the mixing of tourists and locals, the focus on authentic, unique locations linked to art and creativity. Presumably the tourists that are interested in these types of experiences are just the sort of visitors that places like St Ives are keen to attract. A far cry from the negative image of ‘overtourism’.
Unwelcome visitors?
The development of creative tourism in rural settings such as these is one of the themes being explored by the CROCUS Project on Cultural and Creative Tourism in Rural and Remote Areas. Hopefully we can come up with forms of creative tourism that won’t annoy the locals…..
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