Cultural and creative industries a path to entrepreneurship and innovation

Abstract

Writing or editing a book on cultural and creative industries is not an easy task. The scope of these industries and the numerous topics discussed (or that could be discussed) by researchers is very broad. Adding the vast domains of entrepreneurship and innovation makes the task even more challenging but makes the whole endeavor much more signifcant and rewarding. Therefore, the editors and authors of the book have to be commended for undertaking this project. There was no hesitation from my side when José Álvarez-García from the University of Extremadura, Cáceres (Spain), asked me to review the book and to write its foreword. Cultural and creative industries are not only an important component of the economy, stimulating the cultural development and well-being of local communities, but also attract signifcant numbers of tourists and improve their destination experience. That is why researching the entrepreneurial and innovation aspects of cultural and creative industries is an important contribution to the body of knowledge. I approached the book from different angles. From a theoretical perspective, we can see that most of the chapters are directly related to core topics in cultural and creative industries research: the conceptual overview of cultural and creative industries; a bibliographic analysis of publications in the feld; the relationships between the level of transborder activity and the creative potential of different visual arts in Tijuana (Mexico); the entanglement of art, science, and social change in the art collective Torolab in Tijuana (Mexico); cultural, social, and sustainable entrepreneurship in Tibet; an analysis of the international institutions involved in creative tourism; and the role of a culinary arts school for developing innovative culinary skills. At the same time, other book chapters discuss topics that are more indirectly connected to creative and cultural industries, but nonetheless provide a special favor and richness to the theoretical content of the book and expand its theoretical scope beyond the traditional arrays of research in the feld of cultural and creative mperis@doe.upv.es vi industries. Such topics include innovation and creativity in mobile health applications; the role of creative industries, gamifcation, and technologies in promoting healthy lifestyles; evolution, innovation, and competitiveness of the craft beer industry in Baja California (Mexico); wine tourism in Bullas’ Wine Route in Murcia (Spain); and women’s participation in the wine industry in Baja California (Mexico). From a research methods perspective, we see that the authors approached the achievement of the aims and objectives of their research studies by adopting various research methods such as bibliographic analysis, qualitative studies (in-depth semistructured interviews, content analysis), or quantitative methods such as econometric modeling. The authors defnitely have a preference for qualitative methods, while quantitative methods for data analysis have received much less emphasis. Considering the aims and objectives of the book chapters, such choice seems logical and appropriate. From a geographical perspective, most of the chapters of the book have a clear focus on Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries, with the exception of one chapter that discusses entrepreneurship in Tibet, China. Although a broader selection of countries would have added value to the book and would have increased its international appeal, the current empirical context contributes to our understanding of how cultural and creative industries shape the cultural and economic scape in the analyzed countries. From a destination management (tourism policy) perspective, the book gives tourism policy makers valuable insights into how to use cultural and creative industries to attract visitors to destinations and engage them in various activities in order to create memorable destination experiences. From a pedagogical perspective, the book would be a suitable addition to the reading lists for undergraduate and master courses on cultural studies, cultural and tourism anthropology, cultural and creative tourism, or special interest tourism. I trust the readers would enjoy the book and would fnd value in it chapters that could be referred to for research and/or used as teaching case studies. The ideas and problems set in the book could serve as frm groundwork for future studies as well. Enjoy!