Olympic Games and Mega Events Legacy Planning as a Tourism Initiation Strategy: Developments and Implications

Ourania P. Vrondou ()
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Ourania P. Vrondou: University of Peloponnese

A chapter in Tourism, Travel, and Hospitality in a Smart and Sustainable World, 2023, pp 265-282 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Olympic Games and mega sport events could prove to be an effective strategy towards building a new regenerated reality for cities and countries. Spectacular sport venues, outstanding sport performances and the overall exciting event atmosphere attract the attention of the international audience and promote a new positive and appealing image for the host city. However, considerable evidence suggests that the post-event reality becomes problematic when a considerable number of sport venues remain underused and the overall development for local communities is considerably less than expected. With the appealing picture of the staged sport event gradually fading, the local authorities have to face a huge superstructure left behind to exploit but proof suggests that is disproportionate to the capabilities and needs of the local people. Planning a comprehensive legacy scheme is presently strongly suggested by international sport bodies as well as citizens’ groups realizing that the viability of Olympic Games and mega sport competitions lie heavily on the post-event development that could justify the enormous costs invested and boost local economy. Tourism initiation and development are examined in the present study as a possible compatible developmental scenario produced by an effective legacy programming prior to event staging or even event bidding. Using qualitative content analysis, a plethora of theoretical paradigms, event-related research, host city experiences and sport bodies’ legacy policies are examined here to advice on applicable sport tourism destination enhancement techniques embedded in the basic city’s event selection and hosting process. The analysis of available material produced positive indications of legacy programmes encompassing tourism initiation tools as part of a holistic regenerating strategy for local communities, evidently impatient to experience the promised positive returns of a mega event that didn’t fail to create a sustainable positive image for the locality.

Keywords: Sport tourism; Events tourism; Post-events legacy; Sport venues; Olympic games legacy; Events’ impact; Z2; Z3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:prbchp:978-3-031-29426-6_17

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-29426-6_17

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