A Strategic Approach to International Event Tourism

By reading this chapter students should be able to:

Understand what is meant by event tourism.

Discuss the short-term and long- term tourism impacts of events.

Appreciate why countries must adopt a strategic approach to event tourism.

Understand what is involved in developing a strategic approach to event

tourism.

Introduction

Whitford (2009) in her analysis of event policy discusses how the popularity of

events and the positive association attached to them means they are coveted by

Governments around the worldwide. The tourism potential of events is one of the

main economic reasons why Governments are so keen to support them. This is

summed up by Roberts (2004) who discusses how towns, cities and counties bid for

and host events primarily because they attract visitors and their money. In fact,

Roberts (2004) goes as far as to state that the economy of most cities and holiday

resorts would stutter without a stream of major and minor events. However, it would

be naive for a destination to simply jump on the ‘event tourism bandwagon’ and

assume that an event will generate tourism benefits. To maximise the tourism

potential of an event it is essential that tourism impacts are planned properly. In this

chapter the authors will discuss why the host destination must adopt a strategic

approach to event tourism and will use Northern Ireland as a case study.

Short-term Tourism Impacts

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Getz (2008:406) defined event tourism as ‘the development and marketing of events

for tourism and economic development purposes’. Building on this definition Smith

(2012) discusses how events can assist a destination both in the short-term and

long-term. The most obvious short-term impact would be increased visitor numbers

to the host destination. Duffy and Mair (2015) discuss how festivals and events have

strong tourism potential because they can create ‘product’, enliven a destination,

animate static attractions and promise a glimpse into the authentic culture of a place.

Events can also entice people to extend their stay or spend more money at the

destination (Chalip, 2004). To illustrate this, the author will use a number of

examples from Northern Ireland, the country featured in the case study later in the

chapter.

In 2011 Northern Ireland’s capital city, Belfast, hosted the MTV EMA’s which placed

Northern Ireland firmly on the world music stage. To maximise tourism spend and

lengthen visitor stay Belfast leveraged this event by organising Belfast Music Week

alongside the MTV EMA’s. Combined, they created 8,000 bed nights in Belfast

hotels and the total economic impact for the city was £22 million. The following year

the coastal town of Portrush hosted the Irish Open Golf Tournament which provided

another boost for Northern Ireland’s tourism industry. Over 130,000 tickets were sold

for this three-day event generating £9.5 million. The National Tourism Organisation

helped fund this event and their return on investment was £1: £4.29. Building on the

success of the Irish Open, Northern Ireland secured the rights to host the first three

stages of another prestigious international sports event, the Giro d’ Italia 2014. This

‘Grand Depart’ attracted 227,000 national and international spectators. The tourism

impact was £12.7m which equated to a return of investment of £1: £2.45.

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Long-term Tourism Impacts

The longer-term tourism effects which Smith (2012) referred to relate primarily to

post-event demand, as events can provide a marketing opportunity which some

destinations use to rebrand and reimage the area (Dredge and Whitford, 2010). This

point is highlighted by Quinn (2013 p.149) when she states that ‘even the most

cursory analysis of any number of national tourism strategies shows how strongly

festival and events have come to feature in destination marketing initiatives’. Raj et

al. (2013) argue that events have become part of an image–making process playing

a critical role in positioning destinations against their competitors. They go on to

discuss how events can be marketed to reach niche as well as mass audiences, not

simply through increasing visitor numbers at events, but by creating powerful

associations of the destination in the minds of visitors. This links into Hall (1992) and

Ritchie’s (1984) argument that events are an effective enhancer of destination

image.

The idea that a major event can showcase a state or city was first empirically

measured by Richie and Smith (1991) who identified an international increase in

awareness of Calgary as a result of hosting the 1998 Winter Olympic Games. They

found that Europeans’ awareness of Calgary increased significantly in the build up to

the Games and during the event. However, there was a slight drop off in the year

following the Games, suggesting decay is a legitimate concern and challenge to

sustaining an event’s image related benefits. But this was not the case in Webb and

Magnussen’s (2002) study of the 1999 Rugby World Cup hosted by Wales. Their

initial research phase estimated that the short-term impact of the Rugby World Cup

was £82.3 million. A follow-up survey of non-Welsh respondents conducted in 2002

indicted that 44% of the sample had subsequently returned to Wales and 77% had

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recommended Wales as a place to visit. However, it is just not those who attend that

can be influenced by an event. For instance, Hede (2005) studied the effects of

Australian media telecasts during the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games. The

results indicated that 39% of the sample had improved their overall impression of

Greece as a tourist destination and a place to visit.

In recent years an increasing number of emerging economies have used events to

raise their tourism profile. Grix (2012) for instance discusses how India’s staging of

the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and Brazil’s hosting of both the 2014 FIFA

Football World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games are

examples of emerging economies ready to announce they have finally arrived on the

international stage. More recently, small Gulf states, such as Qatar and Bahrain,

have become interested in staging mega-events with Qatar scheduled to host the

2022 FIFA Football World Cup. But it is not just emerging countries that use events

for reimaging purposes. Foley et al. (2011), for instance, discuss how Germany used

the 2006 FIFA World Cup to alter perceptions of their nation by developing an

outward-facing strategy that had at its heart the slogan ‘A time to Make Friends’. The

campaign had the full backing of the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, who

described the 2006 World Cup as ‘a unique opportunity for Germany to present

herself as a hospitable, joyful and modern nation, bursting with ideas’ (Florek et al.,

2008 p.203). The findings from Florek et al.’s (2008) study would suggest this

campaign was a success with the respondents describing Germany as a friendly

multicultural place.

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According to Grix (2012) the systematic and purposeful leveraging of a mega event

to alter a nation’s image is easier for countries which suffer or have suffered from a

poor national image. Lepp and Gibson’s (2011) study of South Africa lends support

to this argument. They discuss how during the apartheid period (1948-1994) the

state was increasingly characterised as a rogue nation and was the subject of

international boycotts, embargos and sanctions. Clearly, at the end of the apartheid

period, a significant challenge to the ‘new’ South Africa and its iconic President

Mandela was reimaging the nation. As a response South Africa placed major

sporting events at the centre of its reimaging strategy. According to Lepp and Gibson

(2011) this strategy has been a success and the image of South Africa as a racist

and corrupt nation has been replaced by the Rainbow nation, a nation recognised as

modern and multicultural as most recently demonstrated by the 2010 FIFA World

Cup.

A Strategic Approach to Event Tourism

Following on from this discussion on the short-term and long-term tourism impacts of

events it is no surprise that the competition to host events has intensified in recent

years. According to Foley et al. (2011) however, the tourism potential of events are

often exaggerated and tourism figures are inflated in bid documents. Building on this

argument Smith (2012) discusses how too many destinations simply assume that

events will guarantee them increased tourism receipts and positive exposure. This

point was reiterated by Getz (2012: 339) who states ‘staging an event will not

automatically make the host destination more attractive to tourists’. For instance, the

anticipated rises in tourism demand did not materialise after the 2004 Olympic

Games in Athens (Kissoudi, 2010). If not properly managed an event can, in fact,

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have a negative impact on the image of the host destination. For example, the

protests in Sao Paulo, Brazil against the hosting of the 2014 FIFA World Cup

dominated the news in the weeks leading up to this mega event. Such images

coupled with stories of inequality and poverty did not enhance Brazil’s reputation as

a tourist destination.

In order to maximise their return on investment the host destination must adopt a

strategic approach to event tourism. The World Tourism Organisation emphasised

this in their Practical Guide to Tourism Destinations (2007 cited by Quinn, 2013) in

which it discusses the tourism potential of events under a number of headings

including: brand builders, generators of business growth, tactical levers and the need

for vehicles for local pride and community building. However, too many countries

still take event tourism for granted and according to Smith (2012) tourism is

sometimes lazily used to justify events. This was highlighted by Bramewell (1993)

when he analysed how the English city of Sheffield promoted the 1991 World

Student Games. Before, during and after the 1991 World Student Games (WSG),

Sheffield City Council stated its desire to use the Games to generate and promote

tourism. However, despite this commitment, Bramwell (1993:17) suggests that

‘there was no clear view of how the World Student Games facilities could help the

city’s tourism industry’. According to Bramwell (1993) during the planning of the

WSG and in the immediate aftermath of the Games there was no strategic plan at

local or national level that outlined ‘specific objectives and precise mechanisms that

would ensure long-tourism benefits’ (Bramwell 1993:18).

This is in contrast to how the UK strategically leveraged the 2012 Summer Olympic

Games in London. In total 685,000 people attended an official ticketed event. These

visitors generated a spend of £925million with the average spend per visit amounting

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to £1,350. During the games, London hotels saw an average occupancy of 88.5%

and total revenue per available room increased by 3.8%. Local visitor attractions also

benefited with the Victoria & Albert Museum for example recording a 15% increase in

visitors. With Britain’s image and reputation around the world riding high after the

Games, VisitBritain seized the moment to turn viewers into visitors and rolled out a

post-Games marketing campaign the day after the Games ended called ‘GREAT

Britain’. The campaign showcased the very best of Britain promoting culture,

heritage, countryside and sport. According to Sandie Dawe, Chief Executive at

VisitBritain the London 2012 Games presented a great opportunity which they had

planned to strategically exploit: ‘The long-term benefits of an event do simply not fall

into the lap of the host nation – we started work on our tourism strategy as soon as

London was announced as the host city seven years prior to the event and have

ramped up our marketing and PR around the world to capitalise on it.”

According to Getz (2013) London’s approach to event tourism was not unique and

merely built on what some countries have been doing since the early 1990’s to

facilitate the development of event tourism. For instance, Barcelona is one city that

has pursued strategic tourism initiatives in association with a major event. Alongside

using the 1992 Olympic Games to regenerate urban infrastructure and derelict land,

Barcelona used the event to ‘launch its tourism strategy for the next century’ (Glyptis,

1991: 179). Australia also used the 2000 Olympic Games to enhance its overall

market position, to encourage repeat visits and to build new relationships amongst a

fragmented tourism sector (Faulkner et al., 2001). Malaysia has also tied major

events to the development of its tourism industry (Van der Westhuizen, 2004: 1284).

The successful ‘Visit Malaysia Year’ was timed to coincide with the staging of the

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1998 Commonwealth games in Kuala Lumpur and increased tourism revenue by 190

per cent (Van der Westhuizen, 2004 cited by Smith, 2012).

The common thread that links these four international examples is strategic planning.

Event tourism is highly competitive and if a country wants to target event tourism

then it must plan accordingly. A strategic approach would involve analysing the

unique geographical, economic, political and social characteristics of a country which

would help identify the type of events it should and could target. However, the

authors have identified five generic issues that a country should also consider when

planning for event tourism: seasonality, strategic fit, industry development, funding

and collaboration.

Seasonality

According to Fletcher (2012) seasonality is a major problem for tourism destinations

creating labour force and capacity utilisation issues. A strategic approach to event

should address the issue of seasonality by targeting events that attract visitors

during off-peak periods (Chalip, 2004). This links into Getz (2007) and Jago et al.’s

(2003) argument that a country should aim for a balanced portfolio of event’s -

bidding for and organising events of different types and scale at different times of the

year. According to Higham (2005) a ‘balanced portfolio approach’ is also more likely

to appeal to wider market segments and encourage regional spread. This view is

shared by Zammit (2015) who discussed how the National Tourism Authority in

Malta used local events such as the Hal Kirkop Food Festival to spread the benefits

of tourism to parts of the island not traditionally affected by mass tourism.

Strategic Fit

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In terms of marketing and branding there must be a strategic fit between the host

destination and the type of event to be organised (Masterman, 2009). For instance, if

a country is blessed with beautiful beaches it must prioritise events that would

promote these natural assets to potential visitors. According to Harrison-Hill and

Chalip (2006) it is simply not enough, however, to match an event with the

destination. The attributes and benefits that marketers seek to transfer from the

event to the destination brand need to be explicitly articulated in marketing

communications and this too requires skilful negotiation and strategic planning. For

instance, when the Republic of Ireland hosted the Ryder Cup in 2006 they used the

opening ceremony to showcase the best of Irish culture to an international audience

by including Irish dancing and traditional music.

Industry Development

A strategic approach to event tourism should also consider industry development.

Event tourism is after all a bi-product of an event and in the long-term event tourism

will only be sustained if the destination develops a reputation for hosting quality

events. The event industry is very competitive and to attract an international

audience a country must invest in developing the expertise, competence and

professionalism of local event organisers. This links into what Getz (2013) refers to

as the facilitation role which includes key areas such as training, education and the

sharing of good practice.

Funding

Bidding for and hosting events costs money and a strategic approach to event

tourism would be meaningless unless consideration is given to how events will be

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funded. In an open economy the private sector will often take the led but in some

instances the return on investment for a particular event may not be enough to

attract sufficient private sector interest and public sector intervention is required. This

can take many forms, for example, grants, subsidies and sponsorship. To administer

event funding some countries have gone as far as to establish an events

development unit either within an existing government agency or as a standalone

entity. Whatever approach is taken the funding criteria must align with the objectives

set for event tourism. Spending must also be monitored as this is public monies and

those spending the money must be held accountable for their actions and

performance.

Collaboration

A strategic approach to event tourism will require collaboration, communication and

coordination between key stakeholders. For instance, at national level a joint-up

approach is required to ensure that towns and cities within the country are able to bid

for international events without unnecessarily damagingly and competing against

each other. This requires mechanics to be in place to encourage cross government

support. Local government and public agencies must also be consulted and

committed to event tourism. The trade and professional organisations which

represent tourism and events must recognise the mutual benefits to be gained from

event tourism and communicate these to their respective members. It is also

important to involve and inform the community so they too are aware of the benefits

of event tourism.

Extended Case Study – Northern Ireland

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Northern Ireland is an example of a country that has adopted a strategic approach to

event tourism. In 2010 the National Tourism Authority, Northern Ireland Tourism,

was given national responsibility for events. In 2014 it published Northern Ireland’s

first National Events Strategy and event tourism was at the core of this strategy.

However, before discussing the content of this strategy the authors will first provide a

brief insight into Northern Ireland’s political history which will help to explain why

Northern Ireland has targeted events and event tourism as a policy tool.

From 1968-1998 Northern Ireland was a war zone with an ongoing cycle of protest

and violence fuelled by sectarian division and hatred. During this period, which is

often referred to as the ‘Troubles’, over 3,600 people were killed and over 30,000

injured. Understandably this had an adverse impact on both tourism and events. The

following quote from Kerr (2003: 105) sums up how difficult it was to market Northern

Ireland as a tourist destination during the troubles: ‘Belfast became more famous for

conflict than tourism; indeed it was once renowned as the Beirut of Western Europe’.

In 1998 the Good Friday Agreement (1998) was signed and this provided a historic

opportunity for the people of Northern Ireland to put aside the divisions and violence

of the past and to move forward and build a stable future together. For those

involved in tourism and events the Good Friday Agreement generated a sense of

relief and optimism, but they were also well aware of the challenges they faced.

Northern Ireland has been forced to play ‘catch-up’ and to recover from what Baum

(1995) described as the ‘lost years’.

The National Tourism Strategy 2010-2020

In the ‘post-troubles’ era events have emerged as a major tourism policy instrument

in Northern Ireland. According to Arleen Foster, the Government Minster responsible

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for tourism, ‘events are now part of Northern Ireland’s tourism fabric’. This was

reflected in the National Tourism Strategy 2010-2020 which identified events as a

key a driver of tourism:

‘The aim is to create the new Northern Ireland experience and get it on everyone’s destination wish list… Events have a key role to play in driving this ambition. Event-led short breaks is one of the key market segments. Events, whether home grown or major one off international events, have the capability of showcasing the people and place on a global stage.

Major global events in particular are able to fulfil the objective of showcasing Northern Ireland as a unique destination to live, work study and visit. Events can provide a specific reason for visitors to come to Northern Ireland or extend their stay to attend a particular event. They can also drive visitor numbers, generate increased spend and provide platforms for the visitor to interact with the local culture, local people and explore our scenic landscapes and cities. Events also have the capacity to enhance a visitor’s experience of Northern Ireland and therefore positively change perceptions (Tourism Strategy for Northern Ireland, 2010-20).

Northern Ireland Home of Great Events - Events Strategic Vison 2014- 2020

In 2014 the Events Unit within Tourism Northern Ireland published Northern Ireland’s

first National Events Strategy entitled ‘Northern Ireland Home of Great Events -

Events Strategic Vison 2014- 2020’. The vision was to make Northern Ireland known

as the ‘home of great events’ and in doing so attract international visitors and media

coverage. To this end the specific objectives of this strategic vision were to:

1. Create a sustainable visitor inspired events future for Northern Ireland.

2. Develop a progressive, diverse and cohesive events industry, attracting significant additional visitors and revenue into the economy of Northern Ireland.

3. Bid for and attract high profile, international scale events to Northern Ireland that have the potential to showcase its landscapes, cities and characters in a positive light to audiences around the world.

4. Develop events with international appeal/profile ‘hosted’ in Northern Ireland and drive the Northern Ireland brand by being built around key/major themes and demonstrating quality and authenticity.

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5. Create a culture of attending events within the domestic market.

Funding

Tourism Northern Ireland has two funding schemes in place to support its National

Events Strategy:

1. The International Tourism Events Fund is a grant scheme which extends to 3

years. Under this scheme the Events Unit within Tourism Northern Ireland will

also work with event organisers to develop their event to make it more

sustainable.

2. The National Tourism Events fund is administered as a sponsorship scheme.

Event tourism is at the core of both of these schemes. To be considered for either

scheme an event must be:

• Visitor focused• Increase visitor numbers• Generate spend• Drive Northern Ireland brand

Structure:

To help implement its National Events Strategy Tourism Northern Ireland has also

created an events structure (See figure 1). This four-tier structure was introduced to

help Tourism Northern Ireland categorise events applying for funding. However, it

envisaged that the structure will also help ensure geographical coverage, calendar

spread and encourage partnership across industry and stakeholders to deliver the

overall vision for events in Northern Ireland. The following section will discuss each

of the four tiers and what an event in each tier is expected to achieve.

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Bidding for Global Events

The strategic vision was for Tourism Northern Ireland, in conjunction with key

partners, to bid for/host at least one major global scale event each year. Bidding

structures, including a Northern Ireland bidding group have been set up to ensure

this vision is realised. Tourism Northern Ireland’s primary role will be to bring key

partners together who have the strategic expertise and knowledge to identify major

events which could showcase Northern Ireland on a world stage and drive visitor

numbers and spend.

Events identified for bidding should deliver key objectives including:

1. Showcase Northern Ireland’s iconic landscapes and stand-out features

2. Highlight Northern Ireland’s unique character and culture

3. Change perceptions of Northern Ireland as a place to live, work, study and

visit

4. Have capacity to attract out of state visitors specifically for the event

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Bidding for

Global Events

International Tourism Events

National Tourism Events

Local Events

Figure 1: Events Structure 2014-2020

5. Generate significant visitor spend

6. Act as a focal point for marketing campaigns and activity in Northern Ireland,

Republic of Ireland and Great Britain in particular.

7. Act as a catalyst for wider industry to develop related product and embrace

the opportunities presented

8. Act as a catalyst for bidding for other major events

International Tourism Events

Tourism Northern Ireland has defined an International Tourism Event as an event

that attracts out of state visitors (not participants) to Northern Ireland, where the

event has played a key role in attracting them to visit. An event of this nature also

showcases Northern Ireland on a global stage as a unique destination. This would

include generating significant out of state media coverage (such as TV and print)

both pre-event and during the event. The coverage would showcase Northern

Ireland’s authentic people and places, highlighting iconic landscapes and attractions.

These events at their very core have the capacity to attract visitors to Northern

Ireland and attract significant out of state media attention whilst helping to change

perceptions of Northern Ireland. These events would include already established

high profile events. International Tourism Events should cover several streams of

Tourism Northern Ireland’s product portfolio including Culture, Arts and Heritage.

International Tourism Events should:

1. Generate substantial economic benefits for Northern Ireland through

increased visitation including tourists, spectators and participants.

2. Highlight Northern Ireland as an event and tourism destination through high

profile, international media coverage

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3. Enhance Northern Ireland’s opportunities to host further major events

4. Demonstrate additionally, sustainability and creativity

5. Create a lasting legacy for Northern Ireland leaving a footprint of benefits for

years to come

6. Fit with the visitor segments and ‘Experience Pillars’ outlined in the National

Tourism Strategy

7. Attract total visitor numbers greater than 4,000 (not participants)

8. Aimed return on investment of 5:1

National Tourism Events

National Tourism Events will showcase Northern Ireland’s regions and destinations

allowing visitors to get closer an authentic experience of Northern Ireland. These

events will cover a wide range of themes such as music, culture, food, art, theatre

and sport and appeal to niche markets. National Tourism Events will also allow for

geographical spread and enhance off peak times where there is surplus capacity in

the tourism industry. National Tourism Events highlight the best that the regions of

Northern Ireland have to offer and should:

1. Encourage attendance of out of state visitors / visitors who are already in

Northern Ireland

2. Generate economic benefits for Northern Ireland through increased visitor

numbers and spend

3. Enhance the profile and appeal of the area

4. Focus on building legacy and sustainability

5. Ensure year round motivators

6. Enhance the visitor experience

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7. Aimed Return of Investment of 3:1

Local Events

Responsibility for local events in Northern Ireland rests with the local government.

There are 11 Local Authorities in Northern Ireland and each one has a remit for

tourism and events. Under the current Event Tourism Structure local events are not

eligible for funding from Tourism Northern Ireland. To ensure quality events and

improve the visitor experience local event organisers can, however, avail of the

support and advice provided by the Events Unit within Tourism Northern Ireland.

.

Northern Ireland Industry Development

To help achieve the objectives outlined in its National Events Strategy Tourism

Northern Ireland will support and work with the industry and other key partners

including ‘In Any Event’ (Professional Trade Organisation) to encourage up-skilling

and benchmarking. Strategic partnerships and networking groups will also be

developed to ensure the key stakeholders bring together their expertise, knowledge

and work collectively towards a clear strategic vision for the Industry.

The key aims of these strategic partnerships and groups will be to:

1. Advise on strategic direction and priorities

2. Co-ordinate and develop an annual events calendar for Northern Ireland

3. Promote sharing of best practice with regard to all elements of events

4. Ensure effective communication between funders and organisers

5. Support the development of Northern Ireland events industry

6. Share insights and research into the events industry

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7. Support development of International Events

8. Deliver the vision that Northern Ireland will become known as the Home of

Great Events.

Case Study Summary

Event tourism is not guaranteed and must be planned and managed. This case

study illustrated how Tourism Northern Ireland realised this and having identified

event tourism as a key market in the National Tourism Strategy placed event tourism

at the heart of its National Events Strategy. This strategy recognised the unique

challenges and opportunities Northern Ireland faced in the post ‘troubles’ era plus it

considered the five generic issues the authors identified earlier in this chapter:

seasonality, strategic fit, industry development, funding and collaboration. Moving

forward this strategic approach will ensure a more effective and efficient approach to

event tourism as it will help Northern Ireland prioritise events; events that align with

its Strategic Vision.

Conclusion & Implications

This chapter has discussed event tourism and why countries must adopt a strategic

approach to developing event tourism. Event tourism is a bi-product of an event, but

it would be a mistake for a country to simply assume that their events will attract

visitors and promote the host destination in a positive light. Event tourism must be

planned around the unique features of a country and take into consideration generic

factors such as seasonality, strategic fit, industry development, funding and

collaboration This was illustrated through the case study of Northern Ireland, a

country which has identified event tourism as a key driver in both the National

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Tourism Strategy and National Events Strategy. However, a strategy is only the

beginning of a ‘programme of work’. Implementing what has been proposed in a

strategy will not be without its challenges. Event tourism is a very competitive market

and a strategy will only have positive outcomes if it is properly funded and has the

support of key stakeholders.

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