CULTURAL AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES: ECONOMIC BENEFITS AND PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

This paper explores the importance of the cultural and creative sectors through the lens of the tourism industry. Namely, cultural tourism and cultural heritage have enormous potential and are a driving force above all for local but also national economic growth and development. Creative and cultural industries are the carriers of innovation, and innovation increases productivity, which is a basic prerequisite for good economic well-being. In this paper, the authors test the impact and application of digitization in the cultural sector, as well as an analysis of where they are moving and in which segments the countries of the Western Balkans are investing when it comes to the cultural sector, cultural and creative industries.