Factors Influencing Residents’ Perceptions, Attitudes and Behavioral Intention Toward Festivals and Special Events: A Pre-Event Perspective

Abstract

This article reports the results of research investigating residents’ perceptions, attitudes and behavioral intention (BI) toward sports festivals and special events (FSE) from a pre-event perspective. A structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized. Two sets of theoretical frameworks have been employed for this study: Social Exchange Theory (SET) and Social Representation Theory (SRT). A quantitative analysis was utilized. Using structural equation modeling (SEM). The authors have identified a strong association between media influence and FSE image evaluation; FSE image evaluation and residents’ perceptions; residents’ perceptions and attitudes; and residents’ attitudes and behavioral intention. However, the study found that social interactions do not have a significant impact on FSE image evaluation. The practical application of this research is that event planners should use media to promote FSE to local residents. This article concludes with the management implications for FSE planners and organizers. Future studies can build on the findings of the paper to generalize this China model for adaption to other countries.

Event and city image: the effect on revisit intention

“…Moscovici (1983, p. 122) defined social representations as systems of preconceptions, images and values with their own cultural meaning independent of personal experience. SRT proposes the collective concept of values, beliefs, cultures, symbols and traditions commonly held by members within a society (Li et al, 2018). Group consensus can form individual perceptions, and gradually guide and control individual behavior (Becken, 2016).…”

“…Tourists establish their perceptions of the event through their direct experience of the event activities which is more directly controlled by the individual than other factors (Li et al, 2018;Ying, 2004;Rai and Nayak, 2020). However, when tourists have limited information from their direct experience of an event, other sources of social representation become more salient.…”

“…Social interaction consists of tourists' interactions with their family, friends, peers and casual acquaintances (Fredline and Faulkner, 2000). The information tourists receive through interaction will influence their evaluation of an event (Li et al, 2018). Social interaction is closely connected with group membership as people tend to adopt a representation comparable with the other group members (Fredline and Faulkner, 2000).…”

“…Social representation theory (SRT) provides an understanding of the formation of individual perceptions toward tourism activities and is useful for understanding the tourist's attitude toward tourism (Monterrubio and Andriotis, 2014). The literature review reveals that the majority of prior tourism studies using SRT investigated residents' and stakeholders' perceptions and attitudes toward rural tourism (Yuksel et al, 2002), special events (Li et al, 2018) and community development (Fredline and Faulkner, 2000). Little research has been undertaken to understand the role SRT plays in shaping tourists' image formation toward an event.…”

Exploring Residents’ Perceptions of Mega Event-Dubai Expo 2020: A Pre-Event Perspective

“…Li, Hsu, & Lawton [35] found that Shanghai residents' perception changes throughout the Expo 2010 full life cycle and the residents' perceived impacts at the community level were more positive than at the individual level. Role of media and marketing campaigns to promote the social and economic implications of the event and also to explore opportunities through which the residents could be involved in the whole process of planning and implementation, has been highlighted in the previous studies [36]. In contrast to the findings of many studies establishing a positive relationship between willingness to host the event and residents' perception of economic impacts, Balduck, Maes & Buelens [37] found that the more residents believed the event generates economic and tourism development, the less willing they were to host the event next year.…”