Art tourism shouldn't be obscured under the wider spectrum of cultural tourism

This past week I had the privilege of attending the Art Kgotla that was hosted by the Botswana Pavilion. The talk was dubbed ‘Curating Botswana’s artistic archive’.

Quite insightful conversations were had in terms of the evolution of art in Botswana. Various experiences of artists as well as the ways in which archiving of art is developing in the country were elaborated on.

At this juncture, it becomes important to have an appreciation of art tourism as a somewhat new field of tourism. At present, art tourism seems to be generally obscured under the wider spectrum of cultural tourism.

To be specific, cultural tourism cannot adequately contain art tourism’s distinctive origins, it is too broad. One has to open their eyes to the fact that within the creative spaces, forms of experience and articulation between art worlds, cities and regions, and tourism industries vary significantly and may not necessarily be related to a way of life but rather to an individual’s expression of how they view the world or what inspires them.

Furthermore, in terms of recreational activities, there is a need to keep track of the rapid growth of and development of art tourism as a primary driver of regional and urban regeneration and for the much-expanded exhibition complex that art encompasses.

Currently, the Maru-a-Pula Le Kamoso Art exhibition Art Crawl is ongoing from the 12th – the 26th of August 2022 at various locations in Gaborone. The work displayed at these exhibitions is impressive and indicates that art acts as a place-changing vehicle for city life.

Globally, museums that have historically catered to local art publics now need to relate increasingly to growing the touring of art in public spaces, public art is becoming prominent in Botswana of late.

The historical and contemporary significance of art tourism in Botswana needs to be explored rigorously in order to identify the breadth of a new tourism agenda in the country.

This will definitely unlock the potential for its connection to other industries or disciplines including architecture, social anthropology, cultural economy, urban studies, museology, aesthetics, and the sociology and geography of art.

There is so much to be excited about regarding tourism product diversification in Botswana.

olivia.nthoi@gmail.com