‘Usain Bolt – Can Celebrity Boost Tourism?’ Dundee Arts Cafe on October 3

Published On Tue 26 Sep 2017 by Cara Longmuir

Next month’s Dundee Arts Café will explore the relationship between celebrity culture and tourism.

Dr Susan Mains, from the University of Dundee, will be exploring how famous people can make certain destinations more desirable on Tuesday 3 October.

She will discuss her research and will focus on Usain Bolt, a global brand ambassador for Jamaican tourism and how his celebrity status has been promoted in order to attract more people to the country.

Dr Mains said, “Celebrities such as Bolt offer a window into, and a mirror reflecting, the ways in which we reproduce and challenge notions of identity and place.

“Usain Bolt is a hugely popular figure in Jamaica and beyond, and his incorporation into Jamaica’s tourist campaigns, as well as other branding exercises, is strategic and enlightening.”

Dundee Arts Café is a programme of talks showcasing arts research and developments taking place locally. The series is organised by the University of Dundee in partnership with Abertay University and Leisure & Culture Dundee.

These events enable members of the public to relax and discuss the arts, from English to History, Philosophy to Architecture, and Fine Art to Product Design, with some of the leading names carrying out work in these areas in Dundee as well as guest speakers. The events last one hour, and speakers talk passionately about their work for 30 minutes before the floor is opened up to an informal discussion with the audience.

‘Usain Bolt – Can Celebrity Boost Tourism?’ takes place at The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery and Museum at 6pm on Tuesday 3 October The event is free and open to all, but limited seating means visitors are advised to arrive early to avoid disappointment. Doors open at 5pm.

For more information about the event and Dundee Arts Cafe please visit www.dundeeartscafe.co.uk.

For media enquiries contact:
Cara Longmuir
Media Relations Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
Tel: +44 (0)1382 385243
Email: c.z.longmuir@dundee.ac.uk