Junk will bring tourists
MR MACPHAIL's derisory arguments (Open Lines, 6 May) against the proposed building of a Chinese junk to house a museum of contemporary art did not take into account the financial spin-offs from the project. It is in the public interest that taxpayers should be informed of these.
Even in the early 80s, when I was lecturing in travel and tourism, seven out of 10 jumbo jets were carrying tourists. And things have moved on since then. There is huge worldwide interest in the arts. As Mr MacPhail could have read in Art and Islands Foundation's brochure, 57% of international tourists to Britain state culture and heritage as the key motivation for their visit, and that China has now become the largest outbound tourist consumer in the world, spending 102 billion US dollars while travelling.
When briefed on the Chinese junk project, the Chinese Ambassador to the UK stated that while Chinese tourists base themselves in cities, they are eager to visit other destinations of cultural interest. Considering the official figures showing that visitors from China spend three times as much as other tourists, Guernsey should be interested in attracting this fast-growing market. To do this, we need to make the Bailiwick's presence known in China, and the junk project will achieve this through press coverage.
The reporting of Goldsworthy's art projects in the islands by The Guardian (respected and read globally) gave the Bailiwick coverage that purchased by Tourism would have cost £43,000 (more than half the total Arts Commission expenditure on the visual arts over the period 2008-13, as researched by Mr MacPhail).
How much more financially significant will be the expected coverage of the junk project, particularly in China, whose world-leading artist, Cai Guo-Qiang, is heading it. Mr MacPhail failed to mention that this is the man who designed and produced the acclaimed opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics.
The Art and Islands Foundation should be congratulated on having engaged the interest of such a distinguished figure in this Guernsey initiative.
Readers will wonder if there will be any interest and financial spin-off other than from China. Already, there has been an approach from the director of the National Gallery in Iceland, who looks forward to our vessel taking part in Reykjavik's annual Arts Festival and celebration of the sea. It is hoped to complete the build in time to take part in celebrations in Malta, where Valetta is to be European City of Culture 2018. Discussions are taking place with the directors of Plymouth School of Art and the Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries at the University of Portsmouth, exploring the education potential of the vessel.
With such interest before building has even begun, it is unreasonable of Mr MacPhail to suppose that the junk will be a 'super-expensive white elephant'. I would expect that costed only in terms of publicity for Guernsey and resulting tourism revenue, it will more than pay for itself in time.
Far from anyone undermining this project, Guernsey should get behind it with the enterprising spirit of our shipbuilders of old.
PAUL GRADWELL,
Les Lohiers,
La Grande Lande,
St Saviour's.
