Bournemouth Arts by the Sea festival helped boost local restaurant sales by up to 200%, say the organisers.
Arts Bournemouth has announced today the phenomenal impact that the 2012 festival had on the cafes and restaurants directly involved.
Great news Cafes & restaurants directly involved with Bournemouth Arts by the Sea Festival report sales increase of 100 – 200% due to impact
— Arts by the Sea Fest (@artsbythesea) January 31, 2013
Flirt Café in central Bournemouth was one of the businesses positively affected by the festival. Owner, Rob Hazel said: “It was a great success. It brought the community together, it puts money in our tills, although it does require effort from us to promote the festival to our customers.”
Kerry Curtis of Arts Bournemouth said: “One installation, ‘The Open University’ by Marcia Farquhar, located on the seafront gave Westbeach restaurant a huge boost on the day it was on show.’
Mr Hazel said that due to the great impact that the two previous festivals had on trade, Flirt would definitely be involved with the festival in 2013.
Mrs Curtis also commented that this year the festival hopes to get more independent cafés involved and place more installations in these cafés.
Arts Bournemouth believes that where there is a strong arts presence in a town or city that a strong culture of independent coffee shops and cafés also thrives, which would boost the local economy.
Arts by the Sea festival will return in summer 2013 and hopes are that the same effect will lift the local cafe culture again.
Main image credit: Arts Bournemouth
