The Ashland Independent Film Festival celebrated its 25 th anniversary late last month, a nice round number to celebrate and a good excuse to take stock of the way the event has rebounded from tumultuous times. Those tumults, as were so many endured by film fests and other arts organizations, derived largely (but not entirely) from the coronavirus pandemic and associated lockdowns, and AIFF's future was, at times, seriously in doubt.
The Federal Reserve's 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances showed median net worth surged 37% between the 2019 and 2022 surveys, the largest jump in the survey's modern history.
The Natural History Museum, which saw a 13% increase in visitors to 7.17 million, which was also a record number of visitors for any UK museum or gallery. Their visitor numbers are now nearly a third up on the pre-covid year, marking a notable difference from the rest of the cultural sector, which is still generally down on visitor numbers compared to 2019.
The West End's post-pandemic revival has delivered a multimillion-pound boost to one of Britain's biggest theatre groups, with the return of Oliver! helping Sir Cameron Mackintosh's company rebound to, and surpass, pre-Covid trading levels. Cameron Mackintosh Limited reported an 18 per cent jump in revenues to £234 million last year, overtaking its 2019 performance as audiences returned in force and demand for major productions recovered.
Powell's City of Books is not just an independent bookstore in Portland. It is arguably the largest independent bookstore in the world and proof that Portland is one of the literary centers of the nation. The headquarters building takes up a full block on the busiest street in the heart of the city, a destination for book-loving residents and visitors alike.
The UK tourism sector is currently facing a challenge not of over-tourism but of slower growth, despite a projected surge in visitor numbers this year.