The first white paper to examine and define the relationship between music and tourism

While we all enjoy music when we're travelling, never has music been looked at as a primary source of travel and tourism, from individual experiences to festivals, music heritage and the use of music videos to promote, and share, local culture and local experience.

In this report, we hope that you learn from the experiences of others, from all over the world, on how music is a tool to enhance your destination and better tell your story.

Both sectors are outpacing global economic growth. At the time of writing the whitepaper, the music industry - from streaming to live music - was growing at twice the rate of the global economy and in 2017 international tourist arrivals worldwide grew by 7%.

This white paper looks at how the sectors can partner to increase economic value on both sides. The report includes case studies examining the role of music in destination development, travel marketing, conferences and experiential travel – from music festivals and heritage music to the use of music videos to promote and share local cultures and experiences. Through these studies, the guide identifies areas for discussion and suggests opportunities for destinations to develop musical tourism products and boost their tourism branding.

We hope these case studies, lessons and experiences help you think more seriously, and deliberately, about your music offer, heritage and story. There's more value there than you know it. Just take a listen, and you'll realise music is a value-add across your entire touristic offer.

The report was written in partnership with UNWTO and ProColombia.