Difference Between Hallmark Events and Mega-Events - Article Example

Difference between Hallmark Events and Mega Events Name Course Tutor Unit Code Date Introduction The tourism sector contributes substantially to the overall economy of a country. In the labour market, tourism creates many job opportunities directly and indirectly through the supply of the required goods and services for tourists. Also tourism promotes business as well as infrastructural investment through the development of small and medium enterprises and the expansion of infrastructure. Culturally, tourism enriches a community’s culture through an interaction of lots of different cultures. Moreover, tourism encourages the protection and safeguarding of the natural environment by supporting the creation and/or maintenance of national parks and game reserves along with other protected areas (Allen et al. 2011: 13). The focus of this paper is on the manner in which events, particularly hallmark events and mega events encourage tourism. Event Tourism (Hallmark Events and Mega Events) There is no fixed definition of an event, given that it can be twisted to suit a given situation. However, in tourism literature there are different definitions of events. The definition adopted in this paper is that of Allen et al. (2011: 17), who define an event as ‘a one-time or rarely occurring event outside regular programs or activities of the funding or organising body. To the client or visitor, an event is an occasion for a leisure or socio-cultural experience out of the usual scope of choices or outside the daily experience.’ Events are classified based on their demand (media attention), tourist attraction as well as the impact they have on the host destination. Also their classification considers their magnitude and size. Hallmark events and mega events are two main types of events. Hallmark Events Hallmark events are ‘Major one-time or recurring events of limited duration, developed primarily to enhance the awareness, appeal and profitability of a tourism destination’ (Ritchie & Beliveau 1974: 2). They include sports events that mark a key historical anniversary. Getz (2008: 410) defined hallmark events as ‘frequent event that poses such meaning, in terms of custom, attractiveness, image or publicity, that the event provides the host venue, community or destination with a competitive advantage.’ In the progression of time, hallmark events and the host destination have turned out to be always united. Events that occur once are different from recurrent events. Events that occur once are short of the follow-up to strengthen the destination's repute. On the other hand, recurrent events permit a progressive build-up of awareness and repute. From his perspective, hallmark events are strategic instruments used to unravel the seasonality problem. However, the type of event, its permanency or periodicities were not of primary concern. Hallmark events have an international appeal. Therefore, the key purpose of the hallmark event is to offer the host destination with a chance to secure high reputation in the tourism market (Ritchie & Beliveau 1974: 4). Examples of hallmark events include the rugby sevens tournament, Wimbledon tennis tournament, expos, rugby world cup, among others. The focus of this paper is on the rugby sevens tournament. Mega Events Mega events are events, such as the Summer Olympics, draw huge numbers of visitors and have for a long time been linked to image-making or developmental roles for the host destination. They are large-scale socio-cultural, business as well as sporting events. They are dramatic, have a mass admired appeal and worldwide importance. They are also discontinuous and exceptional (Ritchie & Beliveau 1974:10). Mega events have a considerable impact on the host destination and draw huge media coverage. The Summer Olympic Games do attract huge international media coverage. Getz (2008: 405) defined ‘mega events, by way of their size or significance, as those that yield amazingly high levels of tourism, media reporting, reputation, or economic impact for the host community, venue or organization.’ Naturally, these events exert a pull on the global viewers owing to the participating countries. This draws great interest to the host destination seeing as it is put under the focus of the media, requiring the host destination to expand and make over its infrastructure, not only to have the capacity to contain the colossal arrival of visitors, but also to produce an eye-catching destination that will present a lifelong bequest for upcoming generations (Getz 2008: 409). Contribution to Tourism Event tourism is a combination of tourism management and event management. Whereas tourism management deals with the development of tourism depending on the actions and enthusiasm of tourists (Getz 2008: 408), event management deals with promoting, planning and managing an event as well as understanding the event experiences. The aim of event tourism is to fully exploit the capabilities of events so as to drive tourism development of host destinations. Event tourism is defined as an ‘organised planning, development, and promotion of festivals and events as tourist attractions, image-makers, catalysts for infrastructure and economic development, and animators of built attraction.’ In the present day, event tourism generally takes in all planned events in an integrated approach to development and promotion of tourism (Getz 2008: 415). Importance of Hallmark Events in Tourism (rugby sevens tournament) Hallmark events contribute substantially to the promotion of tourism. The rugby sevens tournament circuit is taken to be important for cities all over the world. They are of a mythic standing and are linked to the media attention they appeal to that facilitates promotion of tourism. The rugby sevens tournament constantly create a centre of media attention and enter into the realm of admired. Levy (2007: 13) argues that hallmark events exemplify valued customs that put across cultural connotations and the uniqueness of the host destination. The rugby sevens tournament have been closely associated with the culture of the city where they are hosted. One key cultural value associated to the rugby sevens tournament is the cheering of different teams. Our home team, Australia (the blacks) is admired worldwide along with other teams such as Kenya that exert a massive pull on fans. The host destination gains considerably from the media interest and reputation created as a result of such an event. Combining these elements together, hallmark events are a magnet for tourists and in this manner they encourage tourism. The rugby sevens tournament have attracted tourists from all over the world across different cities such as Las Vegas, Hon Kong, Dubai, and the Auckland tournament in Australia. Moreover, hallmark events help reproduce a positive reflection of the host destination/community. Therefore, the destination becomes co-branded with the hallmark event and their appearance becomes reciprocally reinforcing and inextricable. Auckland is known all over the world because of the rugby sevens tournament hosted in the city. Hosting of the hallmark event captures broad brand management that uplifts the level of event, and the destination/community. The reflection of the hallmark event and the destination/community appeals to all stakeholder groups including the audiences and the industry. This shapes the image of the host destination/community, leading to its positive awareness as a prospective travel destination. Many tourists prefer to visit Auckland during the 2-3 day event rugby sevens tournament is held in Australia. With global media attention focused on the host city, even for a relatively short duration, the publicity value is enormous, and some destinations will use this fact alone to justify great expenditures on attracting events (Getz 2008: 417). Importance of Mega Events in Tourism (Summer Olympics) Host destinations all the time more judge mega events as feasible money-spinning opportunities summing up the hefty would-be tangible and intangible gains. It is for this reason that cities all over the world place bids every now and then just to host the Summer Olympics. The staging of Summer Olympics appeals to various sectors of the host country. There is the chance to promote local commodities to a universal audience, influence export trade opportunities and leverage new investment, knowledge transfer in event management, boost the tourism sector of host country. Mega events also boost the citizens’ self-esteem and pride. These factors trigger off both corporate participation and support from the community. Mega sporting events have led to the introduction of professionalism in sport. Today there are professional athletes from all over the world especially the renowned champions from Kenya, Jamaica, U.S.A and Ethiopia. There are impending higher per-capita income globally and upgrading in broadcast technology. If truth be told, mega events come with a true global acquaintance. However, the economic returns to hosting such events are somehow ambiguous (Levy 2007: 50). Roche (2000: 5) illustrates the clout of mega events to catch the fancy of media worldwide and the deep implications they have on the host destination. From a tourism point of view, the manner in which host destinations make use of the media interest generated by these events is very vital. Development of mass communication equipment including the authority of satellite T.V has pushed up the audience figures. For example, the 2004 Athens Olympics attracted well about record 4 billion spectators from all over the globe. Such numbers give confirmation of the global reach of mega events. They have become to be perceived as a helpful means for semi-peripheral societies to catch the fancy of a ‘CNN presence’ along with, tourism, capital, students and analogous multiplier effects. Getz (2008: 415), the Sports Business Market Research Inc. (2000:166) indicates that in the 1980s and 1990s, cities in America heavily emphasised on sports events, entertainment along with tourism as sources of revenue. Cities use the Summer Olympic Games to uplift their status and drive development through sports and business and build a cultural bequest through cultural as well as learning programmes. Indeed, in tourism literature, the issue of the capacity of mega events to support tourism has been discussed in detail. Getz (2008: 406) argues that, looking at events from the tourism sector perspective, they are very much prised as attractions, animators, catalysts, place marketers and image-makers. He adds that cities have particularly laid emphasis on policies that prop up urban tourism and these policies in general take account of the building of convention centres, restaurants, big hotels, entertainment facilities as well as shopping malls. As a consequence, international tourism has experienced a dramatic increase in international events as an essential part for international tourism. Lots of countries are influenced by nation branding and promotion as key factors that necessitate them to pledge to host the Summer Olympics. Tourism destinations have been well positioned to host Summer Olympics as a promotion improvement strategy. In view of that, this all the time trendier mega events strategy has coverage and a showcase effect. Summer Olympics are as well seen as a helpful medium to market tourism products all over the world, generate business opportunities and inspire a feeling of self-importance and dignity amongst the local populace. Moreover, the public and private stakeholders are interested in adding up the brand component of sport to their destination promotion outline seeing as they perceive it as a medium of improving their local economies (Roche 2000: 15). A number of studies have recommended that Summer Olympics may well be used by host destinations as a fresh approach to revive their economy and kindle urban development. With the impact of globalisation, the expansion of sports is more and more being seen as a piece of the host destination’s cultural and relaxation centre to strengthen place advertising and consumption-based economic growth through tourism In the recent period of deindustrialisation, economic reorganisation along with globalisation, the endorsement of urban scenery or mega events has turned out to be a key tactic by which cities give good reason for momentous projects of revitalization and renewal, promote their standing and character and as a consequence, draw new investment inflow and refashion their economies. In this manner host destinations can spread out and broaden the horizons for their tourism product and at the same time crack into new prospective tourism markets. Getz (2008: 412) states that the worldwide trend towards the intensification of such events is for the most part as a result of the spiky rise in demand for specialised tourist products. Conclusion Tourism plays a key role in promoting the economic advancement of a destination. Events have today taken the centre stage in promoting tourism. Both hallmark events and mega events, such as the rugby sevens tournament and the Summer Olympics, attract wide media coverage and global attentiveness. Host destinations make use of such opportunities to promote their tourist products and appeal to prospective visitors. These events therefore, engage a key role in the tourism sector (Getz 2008: 425). References Allen, J. O’Toole W. McDonnell, I. and Harris, R. (2002). Festival and Special Event Management, 2nd edn, Wiley Australia Tourism Series. Getz, D. (2008). Event tourism: definition, evolution, and research. Tourism Management, 29 (3): 403-428. Levy, P. (2007). Iconic Events: Media, Politics, And Power In Retelling History, Lexicon Books, Lanham. Ritchie, M.D. and Beliveau, D. (1974). Hallmark events: An evaluation of a strategic response to seasonality in the travel market. Journal of Travel Research, 13(2): 14-20. Roche, M. (2000). Mega-Events, Olympic Games and the World Student Games 1991: Understanding the Impacts and Information Needs of Major Sports Events. 1-18 in the proceedings from the Major Sport Events Learning from Experience SPRIG Conference, UMIST Manchester, 1 May. Read More