Re: What do festivals add to a city?

In her article asking 'What festivals add to a city' (a-n Magazine, July-August 2011), Dany Louise points out that local authorities tend to favour them for extrinsic reasons like improved tourism and city profile. Based on my recent experience in Folkestone, where I was undertaking a short residency, I would argue that these supposedly extrinsic reasons are in danger of eclipsing the intrinsic benefits, as festivals are increasingly understood within the context of urban development and economic growth.