These days, “branding” is a big issue in tourism, and tourist promotion agencies are looking for brands they can promote. Just as Skopje, Macedonia (see NewsLink just before this one) is branding itself as the hometown of Alexander the Great, Poland is looking to boost tourism through its association with composer and pianist Frederic Chopin.
Warsaw’s two Chopin museums already draw 200,000 visitors a year, and officials believe that promoting Chopin will bring even more. He’s popular not only in Europe, but with visitors from Asia as well…and China is the big growth game in tourism these days.
Aside from promoting the museums and his birthplace just outside the city, the local tourism officials are developing a mobile app to guide visitors and allow them to take selfies at five Chopin sites—with the composers face superimposed on the image.
The Guardian (UK) has an article with much more DETAIL; what we have is a brief concert by Artur Rubenstein, playing Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the London Symphony, conducted by Andre Previn. Enjoy!
