Wagner will put tourism on high note

By DITA DE BONI

For regional tourism operators in Adelaide, it ain't over because the fat lady sings.

The balmy South Australian capital has established a niche attraction that it believes is almost guaranteed to draw a group of opera lovers to Australia, injecting several millions of dollars into the local economy and providing a fillip to related tourism ventures, including wine and food.

The state has decided to try to corner the Down Under market in presentations of the long, melodramatic operas penned by 19th century German composer Richard Wagner. His operas - most notably the 15-hour, four-part work known in English as The Ring - consistently draw a devoted following of passionate Wagner-philes wherever in the world they are performed.

The composer - who died in 1883 - wrote works with a strong link to the history and mythology of his German homeland. In modern times, his work has been shunned by some for being anti-Semitic, and being strongly linked to the Nazi regime, which commandeered the music with the full support of some Wagner descendants.

The general manager of the State Opera of South Australia, Steven Phillips, says that, despite this, countless societies, clubs and yearly conventions keep interest in Wagner humming and "more books are written about him than anyone else, apart from Napoleon and Jesus Christ."

Certainly Wagner's cult status has translated to good business in South Australia. The state opera - established in 1976 and responsible to the Ministry of Arts - has decided to follow 1998's first and highly successful Adelaide performance of The Ring with an encore performance in 2004, which has already attracted bookings from as far away as London, says Mr Phillips.

"We're talking about cultural tourism, and a group of absolutely besotted Wagner fans who migrate around the world to see different renditions of The Ring, often multiple times. We can also be the first point of call for fans in Australasia and South-East Asia."

When The Ring, or Der Ring Des Nibelugen, was first presented by the state opera over one week in 1998, it drew 3500 new tourists to South Australia, created more than 200 full-time equivalent jobs in the area and generated a $10 million boost to the regional economy in related goods and services.

Authorities are hoping the 2004 performance will again attract a high proportion of tourists who, more so than interstate visitors, tend to engage in high-value pursuits as an adjunct to travelling to one of Australia's most famous food and wine regions.

"Of course The Ring takes one week to see, so people have to stay on to see it and all the time they are spending money. But we are putting on Parsifal - another Wagner opera - next year, and these people will still be staying two to three days per performance, we think," says Mr Phillips.

The Australian Federal Government provides the state opera with some of its funding, but with a budget of $13 million needed to stage 2004's Ring, corporate sponsors have been roped in to supplement the budget.

"The reality is that you simply don't make money on opera - it costs more than could be reasonably charged, so corporate sponsors and private philanthropy become very important."

A further obstacle for the authority in Adelaide is that very few large companies are headquartered in South Australia, and corporations tend to prefer "critical mass," says Mr Phillips.

But Adelaide-based pharmaceutical company FH Faulding and several other local sponsors have come on board for the international-flavoured productions after extensive lobbying by the opera authority.

Tickets to The Ring will still cost $A1000 ($1287), and to the shorter Parsifal $A270 ($347) - "a bargain, considering people pay up to $US1350 ($2983) to see Parsifal in Germany. Overall, the prices are not a lot for people who are passionate about Wagner, and there are many."

Mr Phillips says that in Australia arts are better supported than sports events, but "there still has to be tangible commercial returns for most corporations to support the arts. With opera, the benefits are harder to define.

"What corporates do get tangibly [out of opera sponsorship] is a venue for networking with some pretty influential clients, a place to mix with local politicians and government reps, and not least of all, the chance to enhance their reputation as good corporate citizens."

Adelaide continues to try to build on its strong arts bias, especially after the state's Formula One Grand Prix event was "nicked by Victoria," says Mr Phillips.

"The Government is happy to try to establish Adelaide as an arts centre, and the arts festivals and numerous wine festivals held in the region are very good business for everyone."

Mr Phillips says it is important to remember that an event such as The Ring is much more than just an opera.

"We are a niche company with a niche product and we want to make it a very boutique affair for the cultural tourist, so the event has to be fully tailored - arts and crafts, merchandise, food, wine - everything."