Environmental sustainability of creative economy: evidence from a Lithuanian case study

Abstract

The objective of the undertaken study is to investigate the sustainability of creative econ‐ omy and present a case study providing the main findings on the linkages between creative econ‐ omy and sustainable development. The in‐depth literature review of the creative economy and sus‐ tainable development offered the main insights in the development of the case study hypotheses. A case study on the biggest music festival that was organised in Lithuania is provided. The findings confirm that creative economy can be environmentally sustainable, and the customers identified their clear preferences for sustainability criteria in music festivals; however, not all these preferences are properly addressed by the organisers of cultural events, as it was revealed by this case study. The results of a quantitative study show that the festival participants are increasingly expressing the need for sustainable music festivals, but organisers have not yet taken the necessary actions to address this need. It is likely that, in the near future, the festival organisers in Lithuania will have to start applying various sustainability criteria during the festivals in order to attract more visitors and generate more income from such events as well to ensure environmental safety. The practical implications of conducted study are equally important for all stakeholders, such as the community, policymakers, companies, and regulatory agencies that are concerned with the implementation of sustainable development practices.