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Edinburgh Reporter
5 days ago
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
Global study reveals literary tourism renaissance as historic buildings drive cultural recovery
By Jeremy Liddle, Managing Director of Third Hemisphere, a full service marketing, PR, and public affairs agency with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, HK, the US, EU, and UK A comprehensive international study has identified a significant renaissance in literary tourism, with historic building conversions demonstrating remarkable success in creating sustainable cultural destinations that serve both local communities and international visitors. The research, encompassing consumer preferences from 200,000 participants across 54 global venues, reveals how adaptive reuse projects are revitalising urban areas while preserving architectural heritage. The findings provide valuable insights for heritage preservation advocates, urban planners, and cultural tourism development, particularly relevant to Scotland's own rich literary heritage and historic building conservation challenges. The study demonstrates how cities worldwide are successfully transforming underutilised historic properties into vibrant community anchors that generate economic activity while maintaining cultural authenticity. These destinations represent more than tourism attractions, they function as essential community infrastructure providing social gathering spaces, cultural programming, and economic vitality to neighbourhoods that might otherwise struggle with heritage building maintenance and urban regeneration challenges. Historic preservation success stories offer replicable models The most compelling examples emerge from venues that have successfully balanced heritage conservation with contemporary community needs. Boekhandel Dominicanen in Maastricht demonstrates how a 13th-century Gothic church conversion can maintain architectural integrity while serving modern community functions. The space preserves original vaulted ceilings and medieval frescoes while accommodating contemporary retail operations and cultural events including readings and live music performances. Trinity College Dublin's approach to institutional heritage management offers lessons for similar historic institutions. The famous Long Room, stretching 65 meters and housing rare manuscripts including the 9th-century Book of Kells, operates seven days weekly including Sunday afternoon access. This scheduling demonstrates how historic institutions can balance preservation requirements with public accessibility, generating tourism revenue that supports ongoing conservation efforts. Religious building conversions appear particularly successful across European contexts. The Abbey Library of St. Gallen in Switzerland, founded in 612 by an Irish monk, maintains its monastic collection within gleaming wooden interiors and original ceiling frescoes. Austria's Admont Abbey Library, completed in 1776 as the world's largest monastic library, demonstrates how ecclesiastical buildings can transition to broader cultural functions while preserving their essential character and historical significance. Theater conversions provide another successful model for heritage preservation. El Ateneo Grand Splendid in Buenos Aires maintains the ornate architecture of a 1919 performance venue while serving contemporary community needs. Former viewing boxes function as intimate reading spaces, while the original stage accommodates café service, proving that entertainment venues can find sustainable second lives through cultural programming. Alternative approaches to heritage building utilisation include bank conversions like The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles, operating within a historic financial building, and Maison Assouline in London, demonstrating how former commercial buildings near historic districts can contribute to cultural tourism while maintaining architectural character. Community infrastructure development through cultural programming Successful literary destinations demonstrate sophisticated approaches to community engagement that extend far beyond traditional retail or library services. These venues function as genuine community anchors providing social infrastructure that supports neighbourhood vitality and cultural continuity. Minoa Pera in Istanbul exemplifies comprehensive community programming through its integration of 45,000-title inventory with café service, cultural events, and extended operational hours including weekend service to midnight. The venue's book-embedded staircase connecting multiple floors creates architectural features that encourage community interaction while celebrating literary culture. Multi-generational programming appears consistently across successful venues. Dujiangyan Zhongshuge in China incorporates specialised children's areas with locally-themed design elements alongside adult collections, while venues like Boekhandel Dominicanen host diverse cultural events that serve different community demographics through readings, live music, and literary programming. Food service integration represents a primary strategy for creating sustainable community gathering spaces. The Used Book Café at Merci in Paris demonstrates how literary venues can provide essential social infrastructure through browse-while-dining experiences that encourage extended community use. Cafebrería El Péndulo in Mexico City operates restaurant-style upper floor dining that creates multi-use community space supporting different social activities throughout extended daily operations. International examples show similar community integration success. Ampersand Café & Bookstore in Sydney houses literary collections across three stories while providing neighbourhood dining services, creating community anchors that serve multiple daily use patterns. Eterna Cadencia in Buenos Aires operates within a residential district, providing café, bar, and outdoor patio services that support local social life while maintaining cultural programming focus. Event programming strategies generate community engagement while supporting operational sustainability. Shakespeare and Company in Paris maintains literary events programming that complements retail operations, while Word on the Water provides live music, poetry readings, and writing workshops that create ongoing community connections beyond transactional relationships. Urban development implications for cultural policy The international success patterns revealed through this research offer guidance for urban cultural policy development, particularly relevant to cities with significant heritage building stock and cultural tourism potential. The data demonstrates how literary-focused venues can address multiple urban challenges simultaneously, including heritage preservation, community social infrastructure, and economic development. Extended operational scheduling appears crucial for community integration success. Market-leading venues maintain average weekly operations of 72 hours compared to traditional retail standards of 56 hours, indicating that community-serving cultural venues require flexible scheduling to accommodate diverse neighbourhood needs. Trinity College Dublin's Sunday operations (12PM-5PM) and venues maintaining consistent seven-day schedules suggest that cultural infrastructure must adapt to contemporary community use patterns rather than institutional convenience. Geographic distribution analysis reveals concentrated success in European markets, with 43% of top-performing venues located in Netherlands, France, UK, and Portugal. This concentration suggests either mature policy environments supporting cultural heritage adaptive reuse or opportunities for knowledge transfer to other regions facing similar heritage preservation and community development challenges. Waterfront utilisation strategies demonstrate innovative approaches to urban cultural programming. Word on the Water operates from London's Regent's Canal, while Péniche L'Eau et les Rêves functions on Paris's Canal de l'Ourcq, proving that cultural venues can activate underutilised urban waterways while providing unique community amenities. These models suggest opportunities for cities with canal or waterfront heritage to develop distinctive cultural infrastructure. The implications extend to planning policy frameworks that could encourage similar cultural development. Successful venues consistently demonstrate revenue diversification through hospitality integration, event programming, and extended operations that suggest cultural venues require different regulatory approaches than traditional retail or library services. For Scottish contexts, the research provides international validation for literary tourism development strategies that could complement existing cultural heritage assets. The success of historic building conversions across diverse international contexts suggests significant potential for similar approaches within Scotland's abundant historic building stock and established literary heritage. The 1000 Libraries findings demonstrate that cultural venues combining heritage preservation with contemporary community programming can achieve sustainable operations while serving essential social infrastructure functions. These models offer frameworks for urban cultural policy that addresses heritage conservation, community development, and economic vitality through integrated approaches. Consumer preference data indicating strong international demand for authentic cultural experiences suggests significant tourism development potential for regions with appropriate heritage assets and supportive policy frameworks. The research provides evidence-based guidance for cultural tourism strategies that could benefit local communities while preserving architectural heritage and generating sustainable economic activity. The comprehensive international dataset from 1000 Libraries represents valuable resource for cultural policy development, offering annual consumer preference research supporting strategic decision-making for heritage preservation and community cultural infrastructure development across diverse urban contexts. Like this: Like Related
Time Business News
6 days ago
- Business
- Time Business News
Literary tourism emerges as global investment opportunity as historic buildings transform into cultural destinations
By Jeremy Liddle, Managing Director of Third Hemisphere, a full service marketing, PR, and public affairs agency with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, HK, the US, EU, and UK The travel industry has discovered its next major trend hiding in plain sight: literary tourism destinations that combine centuries-old architecture with modern hospitality concepts. A comprehensive analysis of consumer preferences involving 200,000 international travelers has identified a new category of cultural destinations that outperform traditional tourist attractions through innovative approaches to experiential travel. These aren't typical tourist sites. They're former religious buildings, abandoned theaters, and repurposed industrial spaces that have been reimagined as immersive literary experiences. From a 13th-century Gothic church in the Netherlands that now houses towering bookshelves beneath medieval frescoes to floating bookshops navigating European canals, these destinations represent a fundamental shift in how travelers seek authentic cultural experiences. The findings, compiled through the largest global survey of literary destinations ever conducted, reveal that travelers increasingly prefer locations where they can engage with local culture through authentic historical settings rather than manufactured tourist attractions. The data suggests this emerging sector could reshape cultural tourism investment strategies, particularly in regions with significant architectural heritage. Historic architecture drives premium travel experiences The most compelling destinations combine architectural preservation with contemporary cultural programming. Boekhandel Dominicanen in Maastricht transforms a restored Gothic church into a multi-level literary experience where visitors can browse books beneath soaring vaulted ceilings and original medieval artwork. The space operates as both a bookstore and cultural venue, hosting readings and live music performances that draw international visitors. Trinity College Dublin's famous Long Room demonstrates how institutional spaces can serve dual functions as scholarly repositories and premium tourist destinations. The 65-meter corridor, lined with literary busts and housing rare manuscripts including the 9th-century Book of Kells, maintains seven-day operations that accommodate both academic researchers and cultural tourists. The venue's consistent comparison to fictional libraries in popular culture has amplified its appeal among international travelers seeking Instagram-worthy experiences with historical depth. Buenos Aires showcases theater-to-cultural-destination conversion through El Ateneo Grand Splendid, where a 1919 performance venue now functions as a bookstore and café. Former viewing boxes serve as intimate reading spaces while the main stage provides panoramic views of elaborately decorated architecture. This model proves that entertainment venues can find second lives as cultural attractions that celebrate both their original purpose and contemporary function. Alternative architectural approaches demonstrate equal tourist appeal. Floating literary venues like Word on the Water, operating from a permanently moored barge on London's Regent's Canal, create unique experiences that utilize underexploited urban waterways. Paris extends this concept through Péniche L'Eau et les Rêves on Canal de l'Ourcq, combining botanical book specialization with canal-side dining in a greenhouse-like interior. Extended operating models maximize tourism revenue Leading literary destinations optimize revenue through sophisticated operational strategies that extend far beyond traditional retail hours. Consumer preference data indicates strong correlation between extended accessibility and tourist satisfaction, with top-performing venues maintaining average weekly operations of 72 hours compared to conventional retail standards of 56 hours. Multi-service integration appears across successful destinations, with food service integration representing the primary revenue diversification strategy. Minoa Pera in Istanbul combines 45,000-title inventory with full café operations, stationery retail, and home décor merchandise while extending weekend hours to midnight. The venue's book-embedded staircase connecting multiple floors creates an architectural feature that encourages extended visits and social media engagement. International examples demonstrate scalable hospitality integration models. The Used Book Café at Merci in Paris offers browse-while-dining experiences with seasonal menu items ranging from breakfast croissants to pumpkin soup. Cafebrería El Péndulo in Mexico City operates two-level configurations with restaurant-style upper floor dining, maintaining 8AM-11PM operations Monday through Saturday that capture both morning commuter traffic and evening entertainment markets. Event programming revenue streams provide additional income diversification while enhancing cultural authenticity. Shakespeare and Company in Paris maintains literary events programming that complements its English-language book retail, while venues like Boekhandel Dominicanen host cultural events including readings and live music performances that attract both local residents and international visitors. Geographic distribution reveals expansion opportunities Regional analysis of successful literary tourism destinations provides strategic insights for travel industry investment. European markets capture 43% of top-performing venues, with Netherlands, France, UK, and Portugal demonstrating mature infrastructure supporting literary tourism development. This concentration suggests either market saturation advantages or underserved opportunities in other geographic regions. Asia-Pacific territories show limited representation despite substantial population density and growing cultural tourism markets. China's single entry through Dujiangyan Zhongshuge, operating within a shopping mall environment with surreal design featuring mirrored ceilings and curved bookcases, demonstrates successful integration with contemporary retail tourism. Strong Australian performance through State Library Victoria in Melbourne and multiple Sydney venues indicates significant market receptivity in English-speaking Asia-Pacific territories. South American markets demonstrate consistent regional performance with Argentina capturing multiple Buenos Aires entries across destination categories. Mexico and Brazil show individual market leadership through venues like Cafebrería El Péndulo and Livraria Funambule, suggesting established local market demand with expansion potential for international tourism marketing. The comprehensive global dataset from the 1000 Libraries survey represents unprecedented market intelligence for cultural tourism sector development. Geographic distribution patterns indicate European market maturity with significant expansion opportunities in underrepresented Asia-Pacific territories, while South American venues demonstrate scalable regional models for literary tourism destination development. Consumer behavior analysis reveals preference patterns relevant for tourism investment strategy development. Extended accessibility through seven-day operations correlates with superior tourist satisfaction metrics, while service integration combining retail, hospitality, and cultural programming demonstrates premium tourist appeal versus single-purpose cultural attractions. Historic architecture commands measurable tourist preference premium over modern construction, indicating defensive positioning potential for destinations competing against digital entertainment alternatives. For tourism industry professionals examining cultural destination alternatives, the 1000 Libraries findings provide evidence-based validation for literary tourism as an emerging sector with quantifiable international demand. The data supports investment strategies focusing on historic building adaptive reuse, multi-service hospitality integration, and geographic expansion into underserved markets with established cultural tourism infrastructure. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
News.com.au
06-06-2025
- News.com.au
Brittany Higgins quietly sells French chateau
Brittany Higgins and her husband David Sharaz have said au revoir to their French chateau. The couple have sold their three-bedroom estate for an estimated $700,000, The Daily Telegraph reports. Ms Higgins, who welcomed a son, Freddie, in March, announced the news on social media, sharing snippets of memories from the sprawling property. 'Our quiet little safe haven has officially sold,' she wrote. 'We really thought that this was our forever home. Alas, it was not meant to be. 'I'll always be sad Freddie never had the chance to spend just one night in his nursery. However, we must persist! 'It's a bit of an accidental blessing to be back in Aus — starting over surrounded by the love of all our favourite people.' The news comes after Ms Higgins announced she accepted a role as director of public affairs for boutique public relations agency Third Hemisphere, where Mr Sharaz also works. Ms Higgins said on LinkedIn she was 'so excited' to begin her new role, telling followers the company held 'values that aligned with my own'. 'To be in a workplace run by a fellow survivor and someone who fundamentally believes in the importance of corporate social responsibility is an absolute delight,' she wrote. The couple snapped up the partially-furnished house French villa for an estimated $600,000. The purchase came about a year after Ms Higgins was awarded $2.4 million in compensation over her alleged rape by former colleague Bruce Lehrmann in Parliament House in 2019. Situated in the tiny town of Lunas, about 100km east of Bordeaux in south-west France, the 5000 sqm home is on a hillside with a pool, lake and local views. Months later, the pair put the house on the market to cover legal costs of the defamation case brought against them by Ms Higgins' former boss, Senator Linda Reynolds. The property was originally listed for €420,000 ($A737,800) then reduced to €404,000 ($A709,700) later that month. It was then lowered to €367,500 ($A596,500) in January, just before the couple moved back to Australia ahead of the birth of their son. According to The Daily Telegraph, the pair were set to make a loss on the sale, but the Euro has since fallen in value. Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox.
Sky News AU
03-06-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Brittany Higgins announces return to the workforce after four years as she seeks her 'own identity' outside of media interest
Brittany Higgins is returning to the workforce four years after the ex-political staffer quit parliament, joining the same company currently employing her husband. Ms Higgins, 30, has been appointed public affairs director at independent public relations agency Third Hemisphere, the Australian Financial Review (AFR) reported on Wednesday. It comes after the former Liberal Party media adviser's husband David Sharaz also joined the boutique Sydney agency as a director in April. Ms Higgins' will head strategic advocacy and reputation management for target clients and oversee stakeholder engagement, media relations, and public affairs initiatives aimed at moulding public perception and change. Her female-focused clients include non-profit organisations, women's advocacy and support groups, and female leaders at large organisations. The clients represent an extension of Ms Higgins' advocacy for workplace safety, gender-based violence, and cultural reform in politics. Third Hemisphere founder and CEO Hannah Moreno is also a rape survivor, and her social justice advocacy helped convince Ms Higgins to join the firm. 'There was this general feeling of 'how long do I have to be the story for?' At what point do I get to put it to rest and actually get on the tools and be a working person again, and have my own identity outside this narrative of Brittany Higgins,' the former parliamentary staffer told the AFR. 'Who I was was really founded in my work. I was the most intense person back in the day – the first one in and the last one out – I had no work-life balance, and it was exactly how I liked it. 'To lose that was really quite tough. To start to reclaim that sense of identity feels good.' Ms Higgins, who in March welcomed her first child with Mr Sharaz, a boy named Freddie, said she has a "brand reputation" to uphold and did not want to associate herself with an "untoward" new workplace corporately. Instead, the first-time mother wished to join a team she believed in and one that believed in her, too. Alongside her career in government, Ms Higgins helped advance feminism and influence national legislative reform. In 2021, she was appointed as the inaugural Visiting Fellow at The Australian National University's Global Institute for Women's Leadership. Her lobbying was key to prompting Australia's Sex Discrimination Commissioner's historic review of parliamentary workplace culture. The review led to the federal government's commitment to implement the full slate of recommendations of the Set The Standard report. Reflecting on her efforts to the AFR, Ms Higgins said she's passionate about advocacy, but "it's not forever" nor a "self-sustaining career." She said she aspires to follow in the footsteps of gender equality advocate Sam Mostyn, social activist Tanya Hosch and business executive Christine Holgate and hopes her new role is the first step. "To feel sidelined and forever be living in your trauma is really reductive,' she said. Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz, 33, will work from home full-time as they navigate being parents to three-month-old Freddie. Mr Sharaz previously worked as a journalist and media advisor and it is understood his role at Third Hemisphere entails boosting the agency's political media engagement. The ex-reporter proposed to Ms Higgins at Byron Bay on New Year's Eve in 2022, months after the former political staffer was paid compensation after Bruce Lehrmann raped her in Parliament House. Ms Higgins received a $2.4 million payout from the Commonwealth in 2022. The newlyweds were previously living in France in a home purchased by Ms Higgins to start afresh following intense media coverage in Australia. However, they listed their chateau in the south of France and returned to Australia, where they have set up a home in Melbourne.
Daily Mail
03-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Brittany Higgins follows her husband and takes on a new role at his workplace - as she reveals the very personal reason she decided it was the right fit
Brittany Higgins has revealed she is returning to the workforce and joining the same company her husband is employed at. Ms Higgins is now the director of public affairs at the independent public relations agency Third Hemisphere, the Australian Financial Review reported. The announcement comes just months after her husband David Sharaz announced in March he had taken on the role of director at the independent PR agency. The pair are working from home full-time as they navigate early parenthood after welcoming their three-month-old son Freddie into the world on March 2. The role is a natural fit for Ms Higgins who worked as the Liberal Party media adviser before she was thrust into the limelight after stressful rape and defamation trials. Following the trials, Ms Higgins became an outspoken advocate for survivors of sexual assault. Ms Higgins explained her decision to join Third Hemisphere was cemented after fostering a connection with the firm's founder and CEO Hannah Moreno. The pair shared a connection as Ms Moreno was also a rape and domestic violence survivor who campaigns for gender equality and fights against sexual harassment. 'There was this general feeling of 'how long do I have to be the story for?' At what point do I get to put it to rest... and have my own identity outside this narrative of Brittany Higgins,' Ms Higgins said. 'I also have a brand reputation and I don't want to align myself in a corporate sense with someone that could be doing something untoward. I had to join a team that I fundamentally believe in and which believes in the same things that I do.' In August 2021, Bruce Lehrmann was identified as the Liberal Party staffer accused of raping Ms Higgins inside Parliament House in 2019. Ms Higgins had shared her alleged sexual assault with Channel 10 journalist Lisa Wilkinson in an interview aired on The Project. Lehrmann has always denied the allegations. Lehrmann faced the ACT Supreme Court in late 2022 but the case was dropped after a juror brought outside research into the deliberation room. A second trial was also aborted, citing concerns for Ms Higgins' mental health. In 2023, Lehrmann launched legal proceedings against Wilkinson and Channel 10, claiming he'd been defamed by The Project episode. The ruling in that lawsuit left Lehrmann in ruin with Justice Michael Lee finding that, on the balance of probabilities, he raped Ms Higgins. He has appealed the ruling with the case to go before the Federal Court of Australia in August.
