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Curating the music city: The accommodation sector in Glasgow’s music tourism ecology

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Matthew Ord, Dr Adam Behr

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Abstract

Since becoming a UNESCO ‘City of Music’ in 2008, Glasgow has sought to develop the tourism potential of its music scene. As potential beneficiaries, accommodation providers have facilitated the development of music tourism initiatives within the city, strategically positioning themselves as ambassadors for the city’s music. This article considers how three Glasgow hotels ‘curate’ the musical life of the city, presenting themselves as facilitators of cultural experiences rather than mere service providers. We draw on interviews alongside an analysis of marketing discourse to show how this approach is reflected in the physical space of hotels, recruitment practices, and the language of promotional materials. Arguing that the packaging of musical experience often implies an instrumentalist understanding of music’s cultural value, we consider what it means for music to be re-imagined as an ‘experience,’ and how music’s value as a resource for self-construction is articulated within the discourse of contemporary tourism.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Ord M, Behr A

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Tourist Studies

Year: 2023

Pages: epub ahead of print

Online publication date: 14/06/2023

Acceptance date: 20/04/2023

Date deposited: 21/04/2023

ISSN (print): 1468-7976

ISSN (electronic): 1741-3206

Publisher: Sage Publications Ltd.

URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/14687976231177963

DOI: 10.1177/14687976231177963

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