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.