The History
The first time I visited CPG was a few years ago when the Heritage Alliance launched their 2018 international report. Several key speakers discussed the power of heritage, particularly highlighting the attractiveness of the UK, which holds the No. 1 position in terms of soft power in culture, engagement, enterprise, digital, education, and government.
Founded in 1673 as London’s oldest botanic garden, CPG houses over 5000 plants for varied useful and medical purposes. Throughout history, it has served as a hub for botanists and apothecaries who studied and researched plants that could be used for medicines, spices and teas. Surprisingly we discovered a potential connection between the motivations of past travelers and botanic gardens,
“There are three things which have stimulated men throughout the ages to travel far and wide over the surface of the globe, and these are gold, spices and drugs. It is to the two latter… that we may trace the origin and foundation of botanic gardens. – Arthur W Hill, Assistant Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew”.
Tourist Motivation
We were curious about the motivations of today’s tourists visiting CPG, especially considering that it is not a free attraction. The admission ticket prices are £12 for adults, £10 for concessions, and £45 for family tickets. The opening hours are Sunday to Friday from 11am to 5pm. Being part of the London Pass can be one of the reasons that attract tourists to CPG. This may also reflect a preference in the market for individual tourists who seek unique and special interests in cultural heritage rather than mass tourism.
One issue we identified, actually learnt from the Security City, is called picturesque. They claimed that,
“Chelsea Physic Garden is a picturesque reminder of the vital role that botanical gardens played in the advancement of western medicine, travel and culture as a whole”.
According to Mitter (2019, p.179-180),
“The Picturesque movement had emerged in Britain in connection with the Gothic Revival, offering new insights regarding medieval architecture that has suffered neglect since the sixteen century. Artists such as the Daniells, uncle and nephew, employed the new technique of aquatint to capture the picturesque beauties of Indian antiquities. Subsequently, they travelled to Southeast Asia where they applied the same aesthetic principles to architectural remains there”.
“Picturesque” thus extends our discussion on tourists’ behaviours, such as taking photos or making vlogs. However, not all tourists are interested in sharing their experiences through social media or capturing photos. Additionally, the live streaming of influencers may negatively impact the quality of visitor experiences and disengage visitors at cultural heritage sites. This raises important questions and encourages further discussions on destination marketing, product design, and experiential engagement at cultural heritage sites.
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