Abstract

By presenting the case of Abu Dhabi, with newly opened Louvre, the position of art tourism in the context of cultural tourism is discussed in this paper. Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, aims to position the city as the region’s arts and culture hub. Emirati artists and art-related projects play an important role in up-scaling the art experience for tourists in the region. To understand the views of Emirati artists, thirteen e-interviews were conducted to study the current role of art tourism and the levels of optimism observed among local artists. Interview questions focused on perceptions of art tourism, on the role of artists, and on the relation between art and culture in this fifty years old country. Findings exhibit a sense of optimism especially in relation to the newly opened Louvre, which has boosted art tourism in the UAE. However, the real art market is neglected and under-researched, but the predictions are generally auspicious.