A recent report by the Australia Council for the Arts found that in 2018, Australians took 12.3 million day trips and 13.4 million overnight trips within Australia that included arts activities. There have been increases across all arts activities: visiting museums and art galleries; attending performing arts; visiting art or craft workshops or studios; attending festivals; and experiencing First Nations arts and craft. More domestic tourists attend the arts than organised sport, amusement parks or wineries.
Looking abroad, a recent report by Art Fund found that 63% of UK adults have visited a museum or gallery to cope with anxiety or stress, with another benefit arising from arts engagement is a sense of personal growth.
Meanwhile, in Canada, doctors can now write prescriptions for free museum visits to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts – with collections that provide a “relaxing, revitalizing experience, a moment of respite”.
