Performing Arts and Promotion of Tourism in Tanzania: A Study of The Bagamoyo and the Makuya Arts Festivals
This study examines the link between the performing arts and tourism in Tanzania and assesses the extent to which the performing arts do promote the tourism industry in Tanzania. Current practice in the tourism industry in Tanzania emphasises on nature tourism with less emphasis on cultural tourism, especially the performing arts. This has led to a seeming academic gap between tourism and the performing arts. No comprehensive study has been done to compare theory and practice and find out why performing arts and tourism are not closely linked and the extent to which the performing arts promote the tourism industry. The study examined The Bagamoyo Festival of Arts and Culture and The Mtwara’s MaKuYa Festival. It adopted a primary data collection approach using questionnaire and interview instruments targeted at different stakeholders including tourists, tour operators and performing artists. From the results of the study, it was observed that performing arts could be used to promote tourism in their own right as well as promoting nature tourism attractions. However, challenges include inadequate skills on how to produce and market performing arts for touristic audiences and an absence of a collaboration model between performing arts and tourism sectors.From the empirical findings of this research there is a need for a multi-faced approach of tourism productdevelopment and to reposition the performing arts as a tourist product and branding it as a complete experience that combines the experience of culture with the experience of visiting nature tourist attractions of Tanzania
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