Residents' perceptions of the impacts of special event tourism

Purpose The purpose of this research was to explore residents' perceptions of special event tourism at a destination. Specifically, the research examined residents' perceptions of the social, economic and environmental impacts of special event tourism on the destination. The study also examined dimensions of community life that were impacted or curtailed as a result of event tourism. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected by means of a telephone survey. The survey solicited residents' perceptions of the social, economic, and environmental impacts of special event tourism. The study was exploratory and followed a descriptive design. Findings Residents are generally in favor of events that contribute socially and economically to the destination. They are, however, not ambivalent to some of the negative impacts, but are willing to cope with these negative impacts as long as the perceived benefits exceed the negative impacts. Research limitations/implications Although the sample was adequate for statistical analysis, a larger sample size would yield more generalizable results. Consequently, caution should be used in making generalizations based on this study. Practical implications The constant question faced by destination managers and tourism development authorities is how to plan for optimal tourism development, while at the same time minimize the impact of this development on the resident population. One approach is to monitor residents' opinions of perceived impacts as a means of incorporating community reaction into tourism planning and development. Hence, this study proposes an all inclusive community‐centric approach to event tourism policy making rather than a top‐down approach. Originality/value Both practitioners and educators will benefit from the results of this study as it provides insight into a destination's residents' perceptions of special event tourism. This topic has received little attention in the past.