Arts tourism in Seoul: tourist-orientated performing arts as a sustainable niche market

This paper explores the complex relationships between inbound tourist markets, tourist-orientated local performing arts productions and ways to counter the corrosive effects of global cultural brands on local cultures. In Seoul, a survey analysed arts tourist types, travel patterns, product recognition, decision-making, satisfaction and loyalty of Chinese, Japanese, South-East Asian and western audience members at seven tourist-orientated performing arts productions. Segmentation, targeting and positioning (STP) analysis identified market segments aligned to audience nationality. Multiple regression analysis and an analysis of moment structures (AMOS) examined the relationship between performance, service and satisfaction levels with the productions. Travel patterns indicated arts-core tourists were more frequent among Chinese, Japanese and westerners; arts-peripheral tourists were more frequent among South-East Asians. Production recognition showed that Japanese most often choose Seoul as a destination for watching performing arts. Satisfaction with productions was highest among westerners; the quality of on-stage performance was most important for the audience loyalty overall. The STP process identifies four market segments and niche marketing strategies for each; sustainability guidelines are provided for the productions. This study demonstrates a link between the sustainability of local culture and strategic market segmentation targeting those specific niche markets which can support local products in cultural tourism's arts sector.