Contemporary issues in events, festivals and destination management (PDF)

Fierce competition among destinations has forced them to revisit the means by which they are managed and marketed with more integrated, and professional, approaches to destination development increasingly necessary. New product, service and experience developments are eagerly being sought to achieve economic gain and enhance destinations' longer-term sustainability in the wider destination marketplace. One of the most significant trends for destinations seeking differentiation has been through the organization of events and festivals. For the most part, these have not, however, been part of integrated destination development strategies. Rather, they have been short-term opportunistic strategies with many destinations merely reacting to competitive pressures rather than evaluating what events are truly best for their own destinations and that best fit existing infrastructure, markets and products. Given the fierce competition among tourism destinations to differentiate themselves from others, this ebook aims to challenge those old thought patterns, models, research methods and ideas. It also aims to identify contemporary issues in event and festival research and the means by which it can contribute more effectively to the future planning, marketing and management of tourism destinations.