Nottingham as One of the Major Cities in the UK - Case Study Example

 Nottingham City of Booze Introduction The development of cities worldwide is related to many factors; usually the local culture and heritage are considered as criteria for evaluating both the current performance of the city, as reflected in its image worldwide, and its potentials for the future (Rawlins 2006). It has been also proved that facts and trends that benefit certain cities can negatively influence other cities (Greffe et al. 2005). At this point, the geographical characteristics of each city and its role as a tourist destination can have a key importance in the formulation of the city’s image in the international community. The various aspects of Nottingham as one of the major cities in UK are reviewed in this paper. Emphasis is given on the city’s culture and heritage as they affect the city’s image as an important tourist destination. It is proved that Nottingham, as a city, has many potentials for the further growth, especially due to its council’s efforts to control important social problems, such as binge drinking, but also due to the efforts of the British government to support the growth of all cities across Britain so that they will be able to respond to the demands of the 2012 Olympics. Exploring culture and the city The performance of cities in terms of culture is judged using various criteria; usually, the range and the variety of cultural events organized across a city are used for evaluating the cultural growth of the city since its establishment (Ashworth and Tunbridge 2000). In Nottingham, culture has a key role in social life. In this context, an Institute of Cultural Analysis has been established in the Nottingham Trent University. The above institute aims to highlight that in the current century, the daily life of people is influenced by new trends, such as ‘globalization, the conflict between cultural identities and the interaction between media and economy’ (Nottingham Trent University 2012). It is noted that these trends have been explored, especially as they can influence the life of people and visitors in Nottingham (Nottingham Trent University 2012). Culture in Nottingham is promoted through a series of ‘cultural events throughout the year’ (Nottingham City 2012). At the same time, nine Leisure Centres operate across the city, so that the needs of residents and visitors in terms of leisure are covered (Nottingham City 2012). Residents and visitors can visit the ‘Museum of Nottingham Life at Brewhouse Yard’ (Nottingham City 2012, Figure 1), which offers valuable information on the daily life of the city’s residents in the 17th century. In fact, museums and galleries are highly promoted in Nottingham, aiming to show the development of the city’s culture and ethics through the centuries. The city council also emphasizes on the importance of information for understanding not only the city’s history or its prospects in the future but also the role of sciences in the development of daily human activities. For this reason, a wide network of libraries, about 17, has been developed across Nottingham for supporting the research needs of citizens, professionals or academics. Open spaces in Nottingham are also highly valued; these spaces are offered for walk or for outdoor sport activities, which are supported by the city’s council (Nottingham City 2012). The most important characteristic of Nottingham as a centre of culture seems to be its emphasis on festival and other cultural events; these events, which are indicatively presented in the section that follow, have highly contributed in the improvement of the city’s image as a popular tourist destination. Festivals and tourism Festivals are often used for improving the position of a city or a region as a tourist destination (Seal 2011). In Nottingham, a series of cultural events has been arranged for celebrating the 2012 Olympics; these events cover the period from March to December 2012 and incorporate a wide range of activities, such as displays in the city’s Central Library for highlighting the sporting heritage of Nottingham (My Nottingham 2012), the Night of Festivals from 21 to 23 June 2012, and ‘the Olympic Summer Reading Challenge for children between 4-11 years’ (My Nottingham 2012), an activity that will last from the 1st of July up to the 10th of September 2012 (My Nottingham 2012). Other activities, which are part of the council’s schedule for supporting the city’s culture and heritage, are ‘the Open Tennis tournament, in June and the Riverside Festival in August’ (World Guides 2012). Tourism in Nottingham has been highly related to Robin Hood; in fact the history of the city is related to the above hero. In August of 2012 the Robin Hood Festival, held on annual basis, emphasizes on the activities of the above hero and his involvement in the area’s social life. At this point, it should be noted that the reference to Robin Hood as a local hero should be rather controlled, leading possible to different results than expected, as explained in the next section. According to the boss of East Midlands Airport, Nottingham should be highly valued as a tourist destination (Nottingham Post 2012); in fact, it is noted that Nottingham should be expected to achieve a further growth, as a tourist destination, in the future (Nottingham Post 2012). It is explained that apart from the city’s cultural events, many of which are held annually, the city’s universities could also have a key role in the promotion of culture and heritage (Nottingham Post 2012). Seminars and business meetings held in the city’s universities could be used as means for attracting visitors of different characteristics (Nottingham Post 2012). According to the above view, Nottingham could be known not just for its cultural or sports activities but also for its business – related facilities and events, a fact that would lead to the transformation of the city’s image as an important tourist destination. Branding the city The term branding is commonly used for indicating the methods used for promoting a product/ service in the market. When referring to cities, branding focuses on each city’s major advantages, which are highlighted so that the city’s image in the international community, usually as a tourist destination, is improved (Donald and Gammack 2007). In this context, branding contributes in a city’s growth, either in the short or the long term. The means used for branding a city can be differentiated, under the influence of local culture and ethics, consumers’ expectations but also the existing legislation, which can prevent certain initiatives for improving a city’s image (Donald and Gammack 2007); for example, in certain cities binge drinking is used for attracting more visitors while in others, such as Nottingham, such practice is not acceptable, as analyzed in the section that follows, and emphasis is given on other activities. At the same time, over-emphasizing on a city’s or a region’s benefit or advantage may lead to different outcomes, than expected. For example, in Nottingham, a series of events are organized annually for emphasizing on the relationship between the city and Robin Hood, a popular hero. The over-exposure of the particular hero could negatively affect the city’s efforts for enhancing its culture. In the above case, more tourists could be possibly attracted by activities related to Robin Hood, such as the Robin Hood Beer Festival (Robin Hood Beer Festival 2012); however, this fact cannot lead to the assumption that these activities are appropriate for improving the image of the city in terms of culture and heritage. The branding of Nottingham can be based primarily on the city’s advantages in terms of festivals and other cultural events, as analytically presented above; it can be also based on other aspects of the city, such as is transport system or its sports facilities. The city’s transport system is well organized; in 2011, a high sum, of about £6.4m was invested on the update of the city’s existing transport system (Nottingham City transport 2012); 56 new vehicles were launched so that the services provided to the public are improved (Nottingham City transport 2012). The branding of Nottingham would be also based on the city’s involvement in 2012 Olympics; more specifically, according to a report published by the Nottingham City, the council of the city has arranged a series of cultural for ‘celebrating the 2012 Olympic Games’ (Nottingham City 2012). The events have been entitled as ‘Game on Nottingham’ (Nottingham City 2012) and incorporate various activities such as ‘an inter-school sports league, city wide festivals, the opening of new leisure facilities’ (Nottingham City 2012). These activities would also help visitors to understand local culture and participate in the celebrations for the 2012 Olympic Games, at the level that similar activities have been developed in many cities across Britain. One of the key aspects of Nottingham, as a city, is its football club, Nottingham Forest, which currently participates in the National League Championship (Nottingham Forest 2012). The Nottingham City Golf Club is another aspect of Nottingham city; the course is well structured, being considered as one of the most attractive golf areas in East Midlands (Nottingham City Golf Club 2012). Efforts are made so that the club’s facilities are improved so that more golfers are attracted (Figure 2, Nottingham City Golf Club 2012). Under these terms, the branding of Nottingham should be based on the following facts: the city’s cultural events, the city’s facilities in terms of leisure and learning, the growth of sports, especially of football, as it is highly promoted through sports facilities accessible to the public, through the local golf club, and through the important performance of the city’s football club, the Nottingham Forest. The initiatives developed by the city’s council for celebrating the Olympics should be also used for branding the city as an important centre of culture and heritage. According to Donald and Gammack (2007) the branding of cities that are involved, directly or indirectly, in major athletic or social events would be easier, compared to the branding of other cities; still the risks for failures, when trying to enhance those cities’ culture or heritage can be high, especially if the relevant projects are not well planned or carefully monitored, an issue that should be taken into consideration also in the case of Nottingham. Of course, the fact that Nottingham has already a highly valued history (Ashworth and Tunbridge 2000), in terms of culture, would positively influence the efforts for securing the city’s growth in the future. Binge drinking in Nottingham In Nottingham, like in other cities across UK, binge drinking has become a major problem, leading to the increase of violent crimes in the country. According to Hetherington (2004) a high percentage of violent crime, about 42%, is related to drinking. In Nottingham, a radical increase in the capacity of bars has taken place from 1997 up to 2004, reaching the 105,000 (Hetherington 2004). In a report published by the University of Nottingham (2012) it is noted that binge drinking in Nottingham, as also in other regions across UK, is highly related to Scotland where drinking is considered as part of daily life (University of Nottingham 2012). It is also noted that the increase of binge drinking is enhanced by the low prices of alcohol, which has become as cheap as milk (University of Nottingham 2012). In Nottingham, local authorities have decided to take measures for confronting effectively the increase of binge drinking. This trend is reflected in the efforts of the city’s council to ban drinking in open spaces and to create ‘alcohol-free zones across the city’ (Slack 2009). In the past, binge drinking has been considered as an important characteristic of a tourism destination; today, this trend has been declined. Controlling drinking, referring especially to excessive drinking, is an indication of a well-organized urban area. According to statistics released by NHS, in Nottinghamshire ‘about 200,000 working days are lost annually because of drinking’ (NHS Nottinghamshire County 2012). Also, during the last 5 years, an increase of 33% in hospital admissions related to drinking has been reported (NHS Nottinghamshire County 2012). In 2011, the city council decided to extend the ban of drinking in ‘the city centre and the Hyson Green’ (BBC News 2011). In this context, anyone who would not obey to the order of the council’s employees to stop drinking ‘would face a fine of up to £500’ (BBC News 2011). The above facts cannot lead to the assumption that Nottingham has become a place where tourists would not be allowed to have fun; on the contrary, these measures aim to ensure that the life and the safety of citizens and of tourists would not be threatened because of excessive consumption of alcohol. Conclusion The initiatives taken for the promotion of Nottingham, as one of the most popular cities of UK, can be characterized as quite satisfactory. Of course, the city will be highly benefited by the 2012 Olympics. Apart from this event, the city’s current position both locally and internationally can be characterized as quite satisfactory. In fact, the city seems to meet all the criteria of a popular tourist destination. Moreover, the local culture and heritage are quite valuable, as proved through the information provided above. The emphasis of the local council on festivals and other cultural events has highly supported the growth of the city, as a centre of art and culture. At this point, the following issue should be explored: could the city’s current efforts in terms of culture and tourism effectively support its further development? The answer should be positive. In addition, it seems that the city can play a key role in the improvement of the image of Britain as a tourist destination. At the same time, the response of the city’s council to binge drinking, an important social problem, indicates the potentials of Nottingham to take initiatives in relation to the needs of society. In other words, Nottingham could promote the development not only of culture and heritage, but also of ethics, which are used as a criterion for evaluating the position of a city or a country in the context of the international community. Word count: 2326 Bibliography Ashworth, G., Tunbridge, J. (2000) The Tourist-Historic City: Retrospect and Prospect of Managing the Heritage City. Routledge. BBC News (2011) Nottingham city drinking ban to be extended. [Online] Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-14442341 [Accessed 02:05:2012] Donald, S., Gammack, J. (2007). Tourism and the Branded City: Film and Identity on the Pacific Rim. 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[Online] Available: http://www.nottingham.world-guides.com/ [Accessed 02:05:2012] Appendix Figure 1 - Museum of Nottingham Life at Brewhouse Yard (Source: Nottingham City 2012, ) Figure 2 – Nottingham City Golf Club (Source: Nottingham City Golf club, 2012) Read More