Perceived Socio-Economic Impacts of Festivals and Events Among Organizers

ABSTRACT Festivals and special events serve as important attractors for destinations and provide unique experiences for visitors. These events also have the capability of providing both tangible and intangible benefits for communities. Most of the studies dealing with festivals and events have focused on either understanding attendees' behavior or delineating the economic impacts of visitation upon communities in which such events are held. However, little research has been done to examine how different festival organizers perceive the socio-economic importance of such events from visitors' perceptions. Thus, the purposes of this study are (1) to delineate the organizers' perception of socio-economic impacts of the festival and event tourism, and (2) to compare these results with those of attendees from literature. The findings of the study revealed that organizers' perceived economic impacts had four domains: Community Cohesiveness, Economic Benefits, Social Costs and Social Incentives. The organizers also perceived that crime rate, congestion, social costs, and the pressure on local services have increased substantially in a variety of contexts with tourism growth. The study concludes with management and marketing implications for festival and event organizers.

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