Musical Performances in the Hebridean Experience Economy

Abstract

ABSTRACT:In a world of increasingly undifferentiated goods and services experiences are said to be the next source of value-adding economic opportunity. Experiences differ from all other economic offerings by being inherently embodied and personalised and the experiences that can attach the most value will be those that are the most engaging and transformative. The experiential and transformational nature of tourism, and particularly island tourism, leads it to be a potential growth sector within an Experience Economy. This article explores how islanders within the Outer Hebrides of Scotland are (co-)creating engaging experiences through music performances in the form of festivals, ceilidhs, and bar sessions to increase tourism spend. This bottom-up approach to socio-economic development is novel in this context as musical performances in the Outer Hebrides have long been tied to the Gaelic language and culture. However, until recently they have not been considered a consumable economic offering. This article explores how using the lens of the Experience Economy offers new insights for islanders to generate tourism spend on their own terms.

Harmonizing visiting performers' motivations and community revitalization at a rural island music festival

“…They also promote other local community events, contributing to community engagement and capital, and a boost to the local image, morale and reputation of rural places seeking to promote tourism (Gibson, 2007; Connell and Gibson, 2005), and establish cultural networks for regional cooperation and development (Dujmovic and Vitasovic, 2012). Examining the largely self-contained musical tapestry of island communities, Fitzgerald and Reis (2016) and MacKinnon (2017) state that music performers also encourage collaborative and cooperative relationships in the island communities, and closely integrate with tourism by attracting and engaging tourists through a range of musical and cultural activities. Music performers can also help to establish a cultural identity for the host island and provide new genres for leisure (Fitzgerald and Reis, 2016).…”