THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF CULTURE: STUDIES AND EXPERIENCE IN LATVIA

Abstract

The first economic impact studies in Latvia were done 10 years after the iconic research by John Myerscough [Myerscough 1988]; we lag behind not only in time, but also in the content of such researches. Cultural managers and cultural institutions still do not consider economic impact valuation relevant. The present paper analyses why it is so and whether there any options for stimulating economic impact evaluation practices in Latvia. The paper evaluates the motivation for performing economic impact research and arguments against such studies together with the general research trends and experiences of foreign researchers. The study shows that currently custom designed calculators with guidelines available in the form of web pages are a successful and useful tool for calculating the economic impact of cultural events. The paper notes that the economic impact of various cultural phenomena, infrastructure buildings, and the whole field has been analysed by R. Karnīte, R. Ķīlis, I. Strode, I. Rozenberga, K. Goppers, the alumni of the Latvian Academy of Culture, and others. Mostly these studies are detached and accidental, moreover, each study uses a different methodology; consequently, the economic impact studies in the field of culture in Latvia are not regular and constant, and usually they are fuelled by the private interest of the event organizers or researchers. The author has created a template for a calculator, which is adapted to the economic situation of Latvia. It could promote popularity and regularity of the economic impact analysis studies in Latvia.