Creative Tourism: Museums as Muse

ASAD LALLJEE

CEO of Avid Learning CURATOR, Royal Opera House Mumbai

Museums like The Met are not just about showcasing art; they are also powerful catalysts for tourism and the economy. Take the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, for example. What was once a declining industrial town transformed into a bustling cultural hub thanks to the museum's presence. This "Bilbao Effect" demonstrates how a museum can breathe new life into a city, driving economic growth and inspiring creativity. I have witnessed this kind of transformation in other places, too. The Louvre in Paris is perhaps the most iconic example of a museum that attracts millions of visitors annually, retaining its spot as the most visited museum in 2023, welcoming 8.9 million visitors last year. Museums like these create a shared space where people from all walks of life can come together to appreciate beauty, history, and creativity. They attract restaurants, cafes, bookshops, and creative businesses, creating a vibrant cultural district that feels alive and full of possibilities. As the CEO of Avid Learning, a leading arts and culture programming platform under the aegis of Essar Group, I have been an ardent observer and collaborator in the museum space. At Avid Learning, we firmly believe that museums are a lot more than mere repositories of artifacts and forgotten histories. They are archives, places of research and reflection, and have become the cradle for future developments, incorporating the best Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) centers to encourage and explore critical thought, provoke deeper reasoning, and ensure an enthralling experience for the visitor. Museums are living participants - extensions of our cultures and ourselves.

Over the past decade, we have continuously probed into the evolving role of these institutions and cultural sites of meaning creation. Through our multitude of programs, we have spotlighted various aspects of the museum landscape, examining unique, unconventional, and lesser-known cultural institutions that form an integral part of the country's evolving cultural landscape.

As a knowledge partner to the Ministry of Culture, Avid Learning presented a series of programs throughout 2023 under the leadership of Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Ms. Mugdha Sinha. We were proud to support the International Museum Expo 2023 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi in its mission to celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of India's museums. The inaugural event brought together thought leaders, cultural enthusiasts, and museum professionals shaping the future of the Indian museum landscape.

We curated the panel discussion ‘Transcending Boundaries’, with leading museum directors and founders and moderated by me looking at the evolution of non-conventional museums and their impact on artistic expression, highlighting the innovative approaches being taken to break free from established traditions in a new era of cultural engagement.

At the inaugural Art Mumbai last year, I had the privilege of moderating the discussion titled ‘The Making of a Museum: From Passion to Institution’ which delved into the remarkable journey of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), exploring how it evolved from a personal passion for art for Mrs. Kiran Nadar into an iconic institution showcasing South Asian contemporary art.

More recently, Avid Learning partnered with BRIDGES 2024 by RARE to present a panel discussion on ‘Creative Tourism: Museums as a Muse,’ a topic close to my heart, looking at how museums serve as catalysts for tourism that goes beyond the conventional, inviting visitors to actively engage with art, and culture, and their creative potential.

Avid Learning’s programming is at the forefront of understanding museums' changing role and scope. Passionate about the evolution of museums, over the years we have partnered with the leading museums including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS, Mumbai), Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai, Museum of Art and Photography, Bengaluru, Indian Music Experience, Bengaluru, Museo Camera, Gurugram, and Bihar Museum, Patna to name a few.

As a member of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI's) Art and Culture Committee, we have co-convened regular multistakeholder conferences, bringing together renowned scholars, policymakers, industry professionals, artists, curators, writers, and representatives from government bodies and corporate houses. Celebrating India's G20 Presidency in 2023, collaborating with partners, two major cultural tracker symposiums were organized in Bengaluru and Mumbai.

One of the key focal points of these symposiums was the pivotal role museums can play as drivers of tourism and catalysts for the growth of cultural and creative economies. Through insightful panel discussions and presentations by industry experts, the symposiums explored how museums can serve as vibrant hubs for artistic expression, educational initiatives, and community engagement. Participants delved into best practices for leveraging museums as anchors for cultural tourism, attracting visitors from around the globe, and stimulating local economies through ancillary industries such as hospitality, retail, and transportation.

A comprehensive report documenting the insights, learnings, best practices, and next steps was prepared and presented to UNESCO, New Delhi, and launched by Ms. Lily Pandeya, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Government of India. This report, along with the forthcoming policy paper I am contributing to will underscore the multifaceted potential of museums to not only preserve and showcase cultural heritage but also to generate economic opportunities, foster creativity, and contribute to sustainable urban development.

India is a nation blessed with an unparalleled wealth of heritage, boasting over 12,000 museums that serve as custodians of our diverse histories and cultures. From the leading national museums to the new-age state-of-the-art institutions like the Bihar Museum in Patna, the Partition Museum in Amritsar, the Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum in Bhopal, and the upcoming Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum, which will showcase the nation's 5,000-year-old legacy, India's museums have the immense potential to captivate audiences, ignite curiosities, and propel India's museums to the forefront of the global cultural tourism landscape.

By leveraging the power of these cultural institutions and positioning them as driving forces on the global tourist map, we will not only celebrate our past but also pave the way for the growth of our creative economies, generating economic opportunities and fostering sustainable urban development.

As we look to the future, let us embrace the transformative potential of our museums, recognizing them as catalysts for cultural exchange, engines of creativity, and cornerstones of a thriving tourism industry.

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