Residents' Perceptions towards The Impacts of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

The aim of this paper is to examine the host residents' perceptions towards the 2008 Beijing Olympics and its impacts. A scale comprising 20 impact items with four factors, namely: social-psychological impacts; urban development impacts; economic development impacts; and social life impacts was developed. The majority of local respondents perceived the impacts of the Olympic Games very positively, particularly with those related to the social-psychological, urban development, and economic development factors. Residents' perceptions towards some social life impacts (e.g. inconvenience caused by increased traffic congestion, overcrowding, and higher prices) were mixed. Based on their different social representations (i.e. perceptions towards the impacts of the Olympic Games), residents were classified into two groups: 'favourers' and 'ambivalents'. It was noted that residents' political self-identification (attitudes about government performance), their preference of more tourism development, and personal tourism industry work experience were the three most significant factors that influenced residents' perceptions towards the Beijing 2008 Olympics.