Culture

Wondering why you may not be as happy as you’d like? A glance at your passport might give at least one clue. A recent Gallup poll ranked 155 countries on their inhabitants’ well-being, based on in-person and phone surveys. By and large, rich countries are happier — and that’s no coincidence.

Slum tourism isn’t for everyone. Critics declare that ogling the poorest of the poor isn’t tourism at all - it’s voyeurism that’s more exploitative than supportive. Proponents of slum tourism argue that ignoring poverty won’t make it go away and its one of the few ways that tourists are ever going to understand what true poverty means - a reality check of sorts.

Some call it vandalism. Others regard it as an expression of street lifestyle - even modern art. Yet, graffiti is becoming a popular player on the international art scene, garnering graffiti tourism dollars.

London’s Tate Modern turned its walls into a blank canvas for a graffiti exhibition. Its riverside facade was covered with giant murals by six urban artists with international reputations, including Blu from Bologna, Faile from New York, and Sixeart from Barcelona. Likewise, Miami, known for its whimsical palate of color and style, is seeing a resurgence of the street art. Tourists and locals alike are bypassing the museums and galleries, and heading to the Wynwood Art District (once dilapidated, now prime real estate) to see a selection of the best murals. Graffiti is even becoming an important dimension to red-hot Art Basel Miami Beach and the alternative fairs that come with it.

We recently wrote that over the last few years, ART has become a central focus for hoteliers due to its appeal to affluent consumers, and graffiti ties into this trend perfectly. The Hotel Erwin announced its arrival on the trendy, eclectic shores of California’s Venice Beach, the handwriting was on the wall - in this case, the exterior wall, just outside the entrance. In fact, the handwriting was in glowing, screaming neon colors, splashed there by NORM, a local graffiti artist whose signature work gave the new 119-room hotel immediate street credibility. “When we were designing the hotel it was very important that the hotel be a reflection and good partner with the local community,” said Benjamin Malmquist, general manager. “And Venice is renowned, has a worldwide reputation, for some really unique and creative graffiti art. That’s part of the culture at Venice Beach.”

Hence, a hotel as canvas, a gallery, as a showcase and a studio.

In case you haven’t noticed, the interest in vampirism has exploded. Media news and Nielsen online have reported the demographics for the growing trend toward vampiric entertainment. According to their reports: “There has been increasing mainstream interest in and gravitation towards all things vampire, most recently spurred by the Twilight books/movies and the HBO series, TrueBlood. And even if these aren’t familiar topics to you yet, marketers are keen to the vampire mystique.”

Over the last couple years, ART has become a central focus for hoteliers due to its appeal to affluent consumers (i.e. art is a part of an affluent lifestyle), its ability to add personality to any room, and the value it adds to the guest experience. An added benefit - it can be a very good investment over time. As a result, we’re seeing more and more hotels creating distinctive interiors by keeping up with some of the hottest trends affecting the art market.

Count on Miami’s Luminaire to come up with thought provoking, very smart, sometimes playful, and always stylish, exhibits at during Design Miami 2009. Another one of my favorites this year was an installation called ‘The Third Space’ an experimental project created by 52 interior design students from Germany.

Spain might have set the trend for employing “starchitects” to design museums with the Guggenheim’s Bilbao outpost, but it seems that Paris is breaking the mold with its innovative museum marketing…

Everyone will agree that sex sells. But is it the right motivator for the affluent leisure traveler? The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau and its agency Turkel think so. They have had a very successful campaign over the past few years in building the Miami brand as the place to go for a sensual, seductive holiday with a fashion sensibility.

Want to buy that new Fendi handbag but you’re suffering from the economic slump? Don’t fret, there’s another option, rent it! According to a recent article in Conde Nast’s Portfolio, there’s a small but growing retail market and that’s the luxury rental business making high end items more affordable.

Where do you turn to find a gift for the wealthy man/women in your life, who has everything? Thinking outside the box and beyond the bling (such as the conspicuous options as laid out by Robb Report’s 21 Ultimate Gifts guide or 20ltd.com, which showcases only 20 limited-edition products at a time, is scoring big with billionaires this year.