Hosting a recurring mega-event: visitor raison d'être

Abstract

Sports events have become ever more prominent as a tool to increase a visitor's awareness and as an attraction to a destination. This possible synergy of sport and tourism, through the use of various sports events, has become an increasing area of research. However, while research has been undertaken with one-off ‘mega’ or ‘hallmark’ events such as the Olympics or World Cup tournaments, little has focused on recurring mega-events in the same location, as tourism attractions. This research sets out to explore the profiles and visitor motivations of participants and non-participants to the Macao Grand Prix Golden Jubilee event, which has taken place each year in Macao since 1954. A recurring mega-event will have undergone a period of evolution and adaptation within its host community as a strategy of sustainability, which also raises issues such as its attractiveness, flow-on benefits, participant loyalty and repeat visitation, as well as the potential to explore newer tourist market segments. The results indicated that there are profile differences, with a degree of participant loyalty, and possibility to widen participant segments and duration in the destination. This reinforces the role and importance of an appropriate and suitable marketing and promotional strategy.

Keywords:

• Sport Tourism
• Mega-event
• Grant Prix
• Profile
• Travel Experience