Socio-economic effects of trade fairs on host cities from a citizens' perspective: The case of Thessaloniki, Greece

Abstract

PurposeTrade fairs have crucial socio-economic, cultural and political impacts. This paper aims to explore these multi-faceted effects at the local level from a citizens' perspective.Design/methodology/approachThe economic, social, environmental and socio-cultural effects of trade fair activity are studied by employing the case study of Thessaloniki International Fair. These impacts are examined based on the views of people in the local community of the host area, conducting a fieldwork survey with questionnaires.FindingsThe analysis, based on descriptive statistics, factor analysis and induction statistics, indicates that the economic, environmental and socio-cultural effects of trade fair activity on the city are largely viewed positively by residents of Thessaloniki. Differences in representations of fair's impacts are evident in what specific groups, according to age, educational level and occupation, expect from trade fair activity.Originality/valueWhile fairs' effects have been examined by studies in economics, sociology and politics, providing useful insights about the inter-linkages between trade fairs and host cities, they tend to pay little attention to citizens' perceptions on fairs' socio-economic implications. This paper enriches the literature on trade fairs' effects by adopting a citizens' perspective, being among the first studies to focus on representations, perceptions and views of residents of the host city to examine fairs' socio-economic implications.

Trade Fairs, Host Cities and Tourism Development: The Case of Thessaloniki, Greece

“…The present study is a continuation of the research of Kourkouridis et al [26], where the opinions of the local community on the effects of trade fair activity in the city of Thessaloniki were investigated. In an attempt to take a holistic approach, the focus here is on the views of the participating exhibitors and visitors to the trade fairs.…”

“…However, less interest has been given to the impacts of trade fairs on the host regions [9,25], even though they are events with complex socio-spatial dimensions; therefore, they have significant impacts on host cities [26]. The impacts studied in the literature are mainly economical [8,[27][28][29], but also social and political [3,26,[30][31][32].…”

“…However, less interest has been given to the impacts of trade fairs on the host regions [9,25], even though they are events with complex socio-spatial dimensions; therefore, they have significant impacts on host cities [26]. The impacts studied in the literature are mainly economical [8,[27][28][29], but also social and political [3,26,[30][31][32]. The economic impacts of events stem from the construction of facilities (where applicable), the operations of facilities/events, and from the expenditures associated with attending and participating in the event [27].…”

The Socio-Economic Impact of a Major Cultural Event in Cape Town During and Post-Pandemic Era

“…The socio-economic impact of cultural events has been a subject of considerable scholarly interest for decades (Bob et al, 2019;Kim & Uysal, 2003;Muresherwa et al, 2023). Globally, increasing aten�on is acknowledged from several des�na�ons in organising different types and scales of events (Kourkouridis et al, 2023). Des�na�ons have noted the socio-economic poten�al presented by events, and as such have seen the importance of suppor�ng bidding (in the case of the large-scale ones) and hos�ng, resul�ng in the formula�on of targeted event development strategies such as s�mula�on of economic growth, enhancing social vibrancy and fostering community development (Aburumman, 2020;Mair & Weber, 2019).…”

Cooperative Tourism Marketing in Accessible Tourism Development: The Case of the Cross-Border Area of Greece–Republic of Northern Macedonia

“…Specifically for the tourism development of Thessaloniki, which is the largest city in the study area, it is based on the very important historical monuments from various historical periods (Byzantium, Ottoman Period, Modern Period, etc.). In addition, the tourism development of Thessaloniki is based on large cultural festivals with an international scope that are organized in the city, e.g., Thessaloniki International Film Festival [67], but also on the intense exhibition and conference activity [68]. However, tourism is distributed among the regions of Greece with a great degree of inequality, as the island regions attract a signifi-cantly greater number of tourists than other regions of the country [65].…”