The Significance Of World Fairs And Event Tourism

The History of World Fairs

Discuss about the Hallmark Event for Tourism Advertising Campaign.

World fairs can be described as large exhibitions of an international nature; where a diversified range of products are exhibited, at a particular place and for a given time period, it can take a month to six months. Under the authority of the French government, France began hosting industrial exhibitions in the early 19^th century, whose aim was mainly to assist its manufacturers compete with the British. Britons were very confident that their products were both superior and of high quality and never bothered to copy this idea. In its place, the mechanics Institute in the Great Britain started sponsoring exhibitions that would bring new scientific education to their craftsmen. Entertainment and foreign items were also on display.

United States participation in European fairs was largely privately funded. Lack of government funding extended to the expositions that were being held in the United States, where government participation was restricted to the pavilions and exhibits by the federal state. European fairs were by and large, state exhibitions. A difference with the European fairs, American events included entertainment venues and exotic attractions including entourages from Asia, the Pacific and Africa. By the end of the 19^th century, European fairs had copied these kinds of entertainment activities including arts which showcased local and foreign works. 

Fairs have become uncommon in the 21^st century as a result of exorbitant costs involved in hosting such big events. Another reason is that Bureau International des Expositions (B.I.E.) that is based in Paris, has imposed much stringent rules and regulations where hosting them is concerned. In spite of this, two events have stood out in the 21^st century. Aichi prefecture did host an exposition near Nagoya in 2005, that is, in Japan. The Aichi fair billed itself as being a green exposition, due to the fact that it concentrated itself with the preservation of natural areas within and around the site, including recycling and reusing structural items as much as possible. Expo Shanghai 2010 was held in one of the largest cities in the world. Under the theme ‘Better city, better life’ the fair reported 73 million visitors. In 2012 there was an exposition in Yosu, South Korea, which delved on the significance of coastlines and oceans in the world; food and consumption exposition was subsequently held in Milan, Italy in the year 2015 and last year, that is 2017, in Astana Kazakhstan, an exposition on future energy was carried out.

Types of World Fairs

World fairs have been criticized in some quarters as being exorbitant and insignificant in the 21^st century, its proponents continue to assert that by shifting from the ancient theme of technological innovations and move towards social and environmental problems as has been suggested under the Hannover Principles, expositions can sustainably endeavor to be beneficial to visitors and hosts, alike. 

Event tourism and hospitality are major actors in the ‘experience economy’ as brought to the fore by Pine and Gilmore (1999), however, the ways to planning such event experiences as a whole and event tourism has continued to be given less attention. The event as a stand-alone and the associated traveling experience needs to be understood as a package. Traveling for an event outside the home country is hypothetically not the same as going to an event; travel is a must, which acts as an impetus for the journey, and the associated expenses and risks of traveling. The traveling experience relates to the visitors, the event organizers and participants.

Events provide a wider variety of experiences from the different forms of entertainment and revelry, carnival parties, to religious pilgrimage and rituals. Sport events like the Grand Prix, to Australia Open do provide participants with challenge, as well as encompassing cultural identity and sentimentalism on the part of the fans. Event tourism can also take the form of secular tourism, cities like Barcelona after hosting the Olympics turned event venues into pilgrimage sites, obtained highly symbolic value and personal important destinations for many. People are always willing to travel and enter event-specific places for predetermined periods of time, participating in routines that are extraordinary and get experiences that are completely different – experiences that are only felt by the event-goer or traveler.

Importance that is attached to planned events and event tourism personal experiences are a significant part of the experiences and predispositions for future travel behaviors. To the magnitude that event tourism experiences do transform or change beliefs, values and attitudes, in this case the individual is more likely to adopt new habits in the future.

Event portfolios have been known to act as important factors in the orientation of countries and states to the international arena or global society. It is a known fact that many national societies have used major events to obtain legitimacy and prestige globally, bringing attention to their accomplishments, develop business and tourism, or in aiding their countries gain global clout. Countries such as Russia, Kazakhstan and Bahrain have used sports such as Formula One to gain such foothold and legitimacy. In this scenario, event portfolio goes beyond marketing – in that it does more of building identification for a nation. We can also deduce that countries compete to host major events like the Olympics, in order to have a platform to showcase their modernization and dynamism, economically.

Event Tourism and the Experience Economy

Political connotations are also attached to event portfolios. A good example is the annual National Eisteddfod of Wales which goes back to 1176. The event entails participants competing in poetry, music and performing arts. The event has long been used to preserve the Welsh language, serving as a draw for tourists, a trade exposition, and a political platform of significance in Wales. 

Bleach festival is an annual arts festival organized on the Gold Coast in Australia. During the festival performers present the city’s unique creativity and culture showing the gold coast in a new way to both local and international audience. The bleach festival is meant to present major musical concerts and events, travelling shows, dance productions and beach sleep over’s. The festival brings in tourists from all over the world to see the exciting lights offered by Melbourne city. Traditionally gold coast is known for surfing, sun and sand. It draws a positive destination picture in as far as surfing events are concerned. The festival is considered an art festival that links surf coast with tourists from all over the world. The festival is also meant to encourage tourists to be part of the event by participating instead of watching. This is after tourism stopped being the top employer and there was need to revamp the industry.

The organizers of the festival wanted to put more excitement into the event by changing the picture and incorporating more outdoor film programs, live music and art performances. The introduction of arts and culture diverts attention of tourists from the few must-see attractions and keeps them preoccupied with excitement from different genres. Arts festivals have a ready market that can be exploited. It creates a diversion where people can watch and be entertained by happenings on land when there is nothing happening in the sea. The event also puts local artists on the world stage as they strive to make gold coast a special place through performances.

By packaging bleach as art festival, the image of gold coast is made stronger and tourists are keen on their destination through surfing. This pulls in more tourists improving economic value of the festival. The art create employment and connects people with science. The quality of life of members of the community would be improved by thanks to the festival

Going by these it is clear that culture plays an important part in attracting tourists to the gold coast and gives the opportunity to combine surfing with its subcultures in a way that gives appalling celebration to the guests. Cultural tourism is a big deal and has played a big part in changing the excitement around bleach festival by bringing in more players and diversification of events. 

The Importance of Event Portfolios for Nations

The Bendigo art gallery, one of the oldest institutions in Australia was founded in the year 1887. It is regarded as one of the country’s most popular tourist’s attraction sites. Its success is known as the “the Bendigo effect” which alludes to the transformative process by which a regional gallery becomes so successful, so big and popular that it makes its city more famous and attracts tourists who bring millions of dollars in revenue collection. The Bendigo effect is the result of the works of Karen Quinlan who was the director of the gallery from 2000.The gallery has had notable exhibitions staged that have encouraged tourism changing the city’s image.

Showcasing the famous show, ‘genius and ambition: the royal academy of arts london1768-1918’ was a great step in the right direction. This was the first time the academy had agreed to let some of its greatest pictures out of the grand London gallery. Pictures of turner, constable, Millais and Joshua Reynolds can now be found on the walls of the Bendigo gallery. This was a great achievement for the gallery and led to an influx of tourists into the gallery. The image of the gallery was raised and it could now attract more tourists who would otherwise not have come. Most notable were tourists from central Europe who mostly preferred European galleries but now could find their favorite art in Bendigo. Local tourists who were fascinated by works of expatriate artistes from Australia now could see them at home.

Recently the gallery opened its 8.5 million dollar extension that immediately doubles the exhibition space, gives room for extra storage capabilities and has a new coffee shop. The extension, augers well with the surrounding parks cape, which is a huge advancement from the previous gallery where Quinlan started. Previously, the gallery did not have a good nor presentable profile as described by Quinlan, its Victorian architectural glories was always being masked by a 1960s facade. The new extension led to a major increase in the size and variety of the collection and the addition of more contemporary works made things even better. This was a big contributor to the change in the number of tourists coming in as the numbers doubled due to more space and a bigger collection.

These two notable changes made the difference that saw the Bendigo art gallery cement its place in the history of the city of Bendigo and become the pride of Bendigo. It now boosts of being the face of Bendigo as people relate Bendigo with the art gallery. Shows performed at the Bendigo art gallery, changed the image of the city energizing tourism by building relationships. This turned the city into an exceptional destination. 

Political Connotations of Event Portfolios

The lone pine festival is an annual film event held in lone pine area of California. The festival celebrates the many films and television episodes that chose their locations as lone pine, Alabama hills and Sierra Nevada Mountains.  Directors prefer to use scenes from the area to showcase the iconic American west. The festival was first held in1990 and has been held ever since over the Columbus Day weekend. It is one of the most important film festivals in the United States.

During the lone pine film festivals many tourists and locals participate in the event that brings together celebrities, experts in the film industry, and other stakeholders. The museum is filled with great artifacts and people can go for movie location tours where they can see actual locations of specific scenes of their favorite films in the Alabama hills. The location has been used for filming since the 1920s

The festival also walks movie enthusiasts and film scholars down a memory lane that takes them through evolution of western film from the early days to the very latest. The journey through memory lane provides a great opportunity for those studying and those with interest in the knowledge. Pictures of movie stars, costumes, movie poster, props and exciting sceneries are also showcased during the festival and this provides a huge learning tool. It reunites fans with their old stars that may be fading from their minds and brings back the good old feeling.

The area boosts of more than 300 movies shot and this can be attributed to the dynamite rough and mountain.  The annual festival is filled with numerous activities that include shows, barbecues and parades. The aim of the festival is to give participants a platform to comprehend and pick up information about film production. Participants can enact scenes from their favorite movies and this contributes to the overall fun and encourages huge fan turn out. The participants also get a chance to hear doubles clarify their insider facts about filming. This is the kind of experience one gets only by attending the festivals. Attending the festivals also provides a sense place that heavily contributes to the theme by having topics that draw western topic and associate film interest an appearance.

The events and festivals have a solid association with tourism and the success attracts film interested tourists. The more the festival involves the audience the more they relate with it making it a success.