What moves creative tourism microentrepreneurs

 

Introducing creative tourism microentrepreneurs

As I sit here at my desk, I am faced directly towards a small bulletin board, which proudly displays a collection of postcards from my few but memorable trips around the world, both near and far. I also see photos of places I dream of one day being able to see in real life, such as the Northern Lights above the mountains of Alaska. From these pictures, I am not only reminded of some of my favorite times in my life, but also of the immense transformational power that travel has on individuals. It allows us to learn more about ourselves, become more culturally-aware, form connections with others, get out of our comfort zone and allow communities to protect their culture and natural resources thanks to the economic benefits generated by visitors. From this perspective, tourism seems like a win-win for hosts and guests. However, once you take a closer look at the role tourism plays in shaping the social, economic, and environmental sectors in a destination, you learn that this industry is far from perfect.

            I have had the opportunity to analyze tourism at a deeper level from my undergraduate studies of sustainable tourism, as well as through professional involvement. One of those endeavors was my work in the People-First Tourism Lab (P1tLab); a research lab examining ways to counteract the flaws of the tourism industry through the development of hyperlocal experiences.  According to the research pursued in this lab, tourism microentrepreneurs  can provide tourists with deeper connections to the community which makes the entire destination more competitive. Unfortunately, this business model is not common in tourism, and destinations are often exploited by unscrupulous hospitality companies at the expense of the locals and the visitors. However, by recognizing the imperfections that lie within the tourism system, visitors can make conscious choices which allow them to avoid causing harm to the destination, achieve personal benefits, and ultimately make their travels be a force for good.  Indeed, I have learned that more and more tourists want to connect closely with real local people and they want to leave positive benefits in the communities they visit, so the market seems to be trending to a more optimistic outlook of tourism.

            One powerful yet underutilized way to do this is through the intersection of tourism and creativity. This niche industry is made up of individuals who use their craft to connect visitors to the destination, such as through artistic displays or by encouraging tourists to use aspects of the destination as inspiration to get personally involved with their creative selves. This could be painting or pottery classes, art walks, or glass blowing experiences, to name a few; however, the difficulty to define what constitutes “art” and “creativity” allows for the industry to consist of nearly unlimited possibilities.

 

The purpose of my work in P1tLab

            During my work in P1tLab, I wanted to further explore what creative tourism is and gain a better understanding of what motivates and challenges the microentrepreneurs that offer these experiences. Further, I wanted to see for myself how creative tourism can help advance the connection between the destination and the tourist. This knowledge is beneficial because in order to develop creative tourism as a tool for positively advancing the tourism industry, you need to understand what motivates those microentrepreneurs, and what kind of support and resources they need to succeed. In line with the lab’s model, my goal is that this improved understanding about creative tourism microentrepreneurs, will allow lab members, the university and tourism extension agents to better serve them in order to enable their success.

 

My methods

            To gain this understanding, I was able to access and analyze interview data collected by P1tLab between 2012 and 2022. Specifically, through a thematic analysis of 12 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with creative tourism microentrepreneurs in North Carolina, I was able to gain insight into the lives and small businesses of these individuals. One of the main themes that I was looking at throughout this research was microentrepreneurs’ motivations for starting their creative business as well as for bringing it into the tourism industry. Additionally, once they are well-established, how they defined success for themselves and their business. Another theme that I was exploring was what challenges these microentrepreneurs have encountered with their business and which they are still facing today. Finally, as I continue with this research, it has been interesting to see what has changed within the creative tourism industry due to the presence of COVID-19.

My findings

In regards to motivations, a very common reason for entering the creative industry was because the microentrepreneurs were hoping to escape from previous corporate lives, which often were described as much more structured, controlling, and draining lifestyles. In leaving these undesired lives behind, entrepreneurs were seeking flexibility, freedom, and individuality. Another motivation that I noticed among the interviewees was the desire to use their art to improve the lives of others and their community. This often leads to the individuals having great pride in their craft and personal community. Further, microentrepreneurs with established businesses were continuously motivated to improve their craft, sometimes seeking outside teachers or experimenting with new techniques themselves, and involvement in tourism gave them opportunities to do this.

            As for challenges, one of the most salient  I noticed was a difficulty with the business literacy aspect of their venture, such as marketing, finance, and accounting aspects. However, upon further research, I learned that the presence or absence of this challenge was dependent on the individual's personal background. For example, I mentioned that many people began their creative business after leaving the corporate world. Those who did that often possessed transferable business skills that significantly aided in their overall business literacy. However, the same cannot be said for those without that background. A common challenge across many creative tourism microentrepreneurs was in regards to marketing. While some used social media, there was still a common struggle in getting their business recognized. They want to be able to connect their business with potential customers and tourists, and have what they need to successfully serve said customers, but aren’t sure of the steps to get there.

            With COVID-19, nearly every business has been faced with both new challenges and opportunities; the creative tourism industry is no different. While I have not been able to gather much research on this topic yet, so far I have been surprised by what I’ve learned. First is the realization that this industry is often very fragile, because its success often relies on consumers spending disposable income. Therefore, when economic stress arises, these businesses are often left to struggle. Another thing I discovered is that sometimes COVID-19 presented an opportunity to these businesses because people, especially during quarantine, had more time to try new things, both in person and remotely; and many people felt the need to be more creative, introspective and wholesome.

 

Perspective

            To conclude, I’d like to share about one of my recent personal experiences within the creative tourism industry, as well as how some of these concepts I discussed above apply. For this experience I took part in what is known as “P-art”, a street art walk tour. In this context, the P reflects how the pandemic, protests, and profit has shaped the art scene in Downtown Raleigh. Throughout the tour, our group stopped at a variety of murals and sculptures, each with their own unique story. Not only does this art add beauty to the location, but many of these pieces were reflective of Raleigh, telling important parts of its history and culture that may otherwise have been forgotten. Some of these stories are celebratory, while others bravely highlight topics that some may rather forget or ignore. From this tour, I was able to see how the guides, Annelies Gentile (Process artist and coach) and Greg Whitt (Teaching artist and facilitator), use their business as a way to help tourists and locals alike form deeper connections to the destination through art. Further, I could see their own passions shine through as they shared a plethora of personal stories as well as information about the art and city. Although COVID-19 posed a challenge to these microentrepreneurs, they were able to successfully adapt their business around each obstacle. At the end of the tour, we were told to pick a word that best described the experience for us. I chose “perspective”. Although I have lived in Raleigh for nearly 4 years now, this tour allowed me to gain an entirely new perspective on the city and the role that art has played in shaping it, as well as how it continues to do so today. In the end, I left the tour with a much deeper connection to this city and its growing community.

 

The gist

            The ability to travel to new places and have unique and unforgettable experiences is something that we should definitely embrace and treasure. However, it is irresponsible for us as tourists to do so without any regard to how our actions are affecting the destinations we visit and those that live there. Therefore, it is essential that we lean into less traditional ways of travel, which bring about deeper connections, meaningful experiences, and benefits for all those engaged. So, next time you find yourself as a tourist, I encourage you to look to the destination's creative side to not only enhance your visit but to support the place and its people as well.

 

By: Anna-Grace Agnini

       B.S. Sustainable Tourism, NC State University May 2022

 

Photos: The last photo is of Annelies taking a central role in the destinations post-pandemic marketing campaign; the earlier photos are of an art walk with Annelies and Greg, part of one of my tourism classes in Fall 2021.