Abstract
This study examined the outcome of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics from multiple perspectives. Tourism and sport researchers have focused on the legacy of mega-events, due to the opportunity they provide to transform a city positively, including through the development of the tourism industry. However, outcomes are not always positive, and the effects differ for every event. The effects of an event can be short-term or long-term. An event, to be truly successful, should aim to have a long-lasting and sustainable positive effect for everyone involved in hosting the event. Additionally, the outcome effects are perceived to be different by each stakeholder of any event. While the roles of volunteers are critical to the success of an event, their perspectives of the event outcomes have been relatively overlooked. Therefore, this study examined the legacy of the 2018 Winter Olympics, as the most recent and unique Olympics (also known as the Peace Olympics), from the perspectives of the volunteers as co-creators. Specifically, volunteers were asked to explain their perceptions of the success of the Olympics. Furthermore, they were asked to identify the legacy of volunteering and the legacy of the Olympics, in order to examine whether volunteers can distinguish the difference between the legacies of volunteering and the Olympics (i.e., event legacy). Using a modified version of content analysis, the results of the volunteer interviews indicated that volunteers identified the legacies of volunteering on a more personal level, emphasizing personal experience, while they identified the legacies of the Olympics on a community and national level.
Highlights
Mega-events have been shown to affect the hosting place, with various transformative changes [1]
It is reasonable to consider that volunteers contribute to creating a sustainable legacy, as their participation is a form of regional sustainable development
This study examined the outcome of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics from multifaceted perspectives and focused on the volunteers’ viewpoints as co-creators and stakeholders
Summary
Mega-events have been shown to affect the hosting place, with various transformative changes [1]. To maximize a positive sustainable legacy, as the result of the successful hosting of a mega-event, support and work from the stakeholders are essential [4,10]. A very recent study on the Olympics by Kim et al [17] stated that understanding the volunteers, helps to enhance the sustainability of mega-events. Another line of research emphasized the role of volunteers in bringing a positive impact to the society and contributing to sustainable development. It is reasonable to consider that volunteers contribute to creating a sustainable legacy, as their participation is a form of regional sustainable development
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