An empirical analysis of attendance at a commemorative event: Anzac Day at Gallipoli

This paper tests the influence of various attributes of event attendance on visitor satisfaction. The Anzac Day commemoration at Gallipoli, Turkey, provides the backdrop for the study. The significance of this place and event is born out of the involvement of the Anzac soldiers (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) in the First World War and their battles against Turkish forces at Gallipoli in 1915. Fittingly, Anzac Day, the 25th of April, the day of the landings, is a national day of commemoration in Australia and New Zealand. Data for this study was collected by an exit survey of 331 Australian attendees at the Gallipoli commemorations. In addressing the aim of this study, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was undertaken as a basis for the subsequent development of a model of satisfaction using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The results indicate that aspects relating to the amenities, transport and ceremonies held at Gallipoli are significant predictors of event satisfaction. This research provides a positive contribution to the understanding of customer satisfaction in event settings, extending the limited research on attendee satisfaction to investigate its elements in relation to a large-scale commemorative event associated with battlefield tourism.     

Spending Behaviors of Event Tourists

Abstract

Assessing the economic impact of a tourism event on a host economy often involves the estimation of average event tourist spending per trip/night. As event and destination marketers become more selective with their promotions, targeting prospective high-value tourists, it is important for them to know the spending characteristics of different types of visitors so that resources can be allocated to reach and influence event tourists who will most benefit the host economy. This study's findings of visitors to the 1999 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta reveal that tourists from communities nearer the host economy typically spend fewer net dollars than those from greater distances. First time event visitors spend considerably more than repeat visitors who have “been there, done that” and may not feel the need to do “that” again.     

The Vancouver 2010 Olympics and leisure-time physical activity rates among youth in Canada: any evidence of a trickle-down effect?

Using nationally representative data from the Canadian Community Health Survey, we explored if the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics were associated with leisure-time physical activity rates among youth in Canada. No statistically significant changes were observed in the rate of moderately active/active youth in Canada or the province of British Columbia (BC) over the two-year time periods under investigation. At the regional level however, a significant increase in the rate of moderately active/active females from 2007–2008 (pre-event) to 2009–2010 (the year prior to the event and the year the event was staged) was observed in the Richmond, BC, health region (z = 2.05, p = .04). Previous conclusions that trickle-down effects do not occur are not supported by our data. Instead, we conclude that trickle-down effects may in fact occur, but may tend to be localised within certain communities (i.e. close to where Olympic events are staged) and among particular segments of a population.     

Effect of Event Service Quality and Satisfaction on Happiness Among Runners of a Recurring Sport Event

The consumption of sport events through direct participation can influence participants’ perception of happiness with that experiential purchase given the time and resources invested in that experience. The purpose of the study was to examine how sport event service quality aspects operationalized through the physical environment, interaction, and outcome factors influence overall satisfaction with the event and experiential happiness. Data were collected from 300 runners who participated in 5k and 10k races. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed the positive effect of outcome and physical environment factors on satisfaction with the event and the positive influence of event satisfaction and outcome quality on experiential happiness. The overall expectations on the quality of the event experience can be a focus for event managers aiming to achieve social marketing goals related to positive psychology from the event participation.     

Special Events Marketing

Abstract

Building a community's tourist industry requires the stimulation of a steady inflow of visitors, and visitors' purchase of local goods and services. Staging special events is one means to attracting tourists and earning tourism revenue. This paper analyzed the case of a county fair in western Colorado from a marketing perspective.     

The “Pink Night” festival revisited: Meta-events and the role of destination partnerships in staging event tourism

This paper adopts a managerial perspective to revisit an original case study of the “Pink Night” festival presented by Giovanardi et al. (2014) in an earlier issue of this journal. Our in-depth qualitative study contributes to the event tourism planning and management literature in three ways. First, we shed light on how and why competing Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) cooperate to plan, develop and manage event tourism. Second, we introduce and describe the brand new concept of the meta-event, which is the main theoretical contribution of this work. Third, we elucidate the role of meta-events as brand architecture tools to rebrand and reposition wide tourism areas. We illustrate the theoretical and managerial implications of the meta-event concept for event tourism studies and destination managers.     

The Potential Impact of Mega Sport Media on the Travel Decision‐Making Process and Destination Choice—The Case of Portugal and Euro 2004

The paper is concerned with exploring how the media coverage of mega sport events influences the travel decision‐making process and destination choice of potential travellers. The decision was made to use Euro 2004 and Portugal as a case study in order to discover the conceptual factors relevant to this phenomenon. The methodology consisted of a comprehensive literature review and in‐depth interviews with potential travellers. The data suggest that Euro 2004 did not do much to induce travel to Portugal among the informants, and this raised questions regarding the effectiveness of this type of promotion for destination marketing. It suggests that most destinations using this technique may have to employ strategic leveraging techniques if any tourism benefits are to be derived. If this is not done, the tourism marketing potential may fail miserably and result in a loss of the investment made by the government and public bodies that invest in these events for tourism purposes.     

奥运后、世博前,共话会展节事与都市旅游——国际旅游学会第二届双年会综述

2008年11月在中国上海召开的国际旅游学会(ITSA)第二届双年会在奥运后、世博前的背景下集中探讨了大型会展节事活动对旅游业以及经济、社会、文化等方面的影响,特别是对都市旅游发展的动态影响,对中国、亚洲乃至全世界旅游及会展产业和会展、都市旅游研究产生重要影响.