Chapter 6. Events, Culture, Heritage, and Sport (Entertainment)

6.4 Trends and Issues

So far in this chapter, we’ve looked at entertainment experiences from wine to gambling, from farm-fresh foods to museums and galleries, and at many things in between. But the entertainment sector doesn’t exist in a perfect world. Now let’s examine some of the trends and issues in the sector today. Festivals, events, and other entertainment experiences can have significant positive and negative impacts on communities and guests.

Impacts of Entertainment

Each type of festival, event, or attraction will have an impact on the host community and guests. Table 6.2 lists some of the positive impacts that can be built upon and celebrated. It also lists some of the potential negative impacts event coordinators should strive to limit.

Table 6.2 Positive and negative impacts of entertainment activities (festivals, events, attractions) on the guest and host communities
[Skip Table]
Type of Impact Positive Impacts Negative Impacts
Social and Cultural
  • Shared experience
  • Revitalizing traditions
  • Building community pride
  • Assisting community groups
  • Expanding cultural perspectives
  • Community alienation
  • Negative community image
  • Bad behaviour
  • Substance abuse or addiction
  • Social dislocation
Physical and Environmental
  • Increasing environmental awareness
  • Ensuring infrastructure legacy
  • Improved transport/communications
  • Urban transformation and renewal
  • Climate change
  • Environmental damage
  • Pollution
  • Destruction of heritage
  • Noise disturbance
  • Traffic congestion
Political
  • International prestige
  • Improved profile
  • Promotion of investment in the host community
  • Social cohesion
  • Development of event/administrative skills
  • Risk of event failure
  • Misallocation of funds
  • Lack of accountability
  • Propaganda purposes
  • Loss of ownership and control
  • Legitimization of political ideology
Tourist and Economic
  • Destination promotion
  • Increased tourist visits
  • Extended length of visitor stay
  • Higher economic yield
  • Increased tax revenue
  • Permanent and temporary job creation
  • Community resistance to tourism
  • Loss of authenticity
  • Damage to reputation
  • Exploitation
  • Inflated prices
  • Opportunity costs

Technology

The role of technology has shifted much of the guest experience from the physical to the virtual. Online gambling, virtual exhibits, and live streaming animal habitat cams are just a few of the new ways that visitors can be entertained, often without having to visit the destination. As this type of experience continues to thrive, the sector must constantly adapt to capture revenues and attention.

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Introduction to Tourism Copyright © 2020 by NSCC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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