5. Issues and challenges in event tourism

Numerous authors have claimed that event tourism is a subfield of both event and tourism studies. The field of event studies, reviewed by Getz, depicts the expanding area of event management and the wider contribution of social sciences to this interdisciplinary area of study [9].

The most comprehensive overview of key issues and research areas was presented by Getz and Page in the aforementioned study.

This study covers the key research areas of cultural tourism, which include the following:


Additional research challenges, according to the authors of the present article, include the following:


and somewhat differing views on event tourism and event management can be noticed. The need, therefore, arises for a more comprehensive and modern view on this research area, with concepts, definitions, and classifications delineated in a clearer way. To this effect, the Event Management Body of Knowledge (EMBOK, www.embok.org) and Meeting and Business Event Competency Standards (MBECS, www.mpiweb.org/MBECS) projects present a praiseworthy endeavor. But, as stated by Getz and Page, "both these projects lend themselves to the development of curriculum and certification processes, but do not establish knowledge or the means to acquire it [9]."

5. Issues and challenges in event tourism

28 Mobilities, Tourism and Travel Behavior - Contexts and Boundaries

Page in the aforementioned study.

events as regards music.

study [9].

following:

Numerous authors have claimed that event tourism is a subfield of both event and tourism studies. The field of event studies, reviewed by Getz, depicts the expanding area of event management and the wider contribution of social sciences to this interdisciplinary area of

The most comprehensive overview of key issues and research areas was presented by Getz and

This study covers the key research areas of cultural tourism, which include the following:

7. Future research themes on the personal, social, and cultural outcomes of event tourism 8. Future research issues on environmental outcomes and event tourism (our emphasis)

Additional research challenges, according to the authors of the present article, include the

a. The question of small and new events. The authors agree with Getz and Page that although all types of planned events have tourism potential, including even the smallest wedding or reunion (see also [22] Kruger, Saayman & Ellis, 2014), larger events dominate in the literature and in event tourism development. The authors of this text believe that it is important to conduct further research into different types of event portfolio. Although the classification into four basic groups of events (business, festival and culture, entertainment, and sport) is usually used by academics, it is debatable how precise it really is and whether it should be improved. For instance, in the here-analyzed location, the region of Istria in Croatia, gourmet events feature heavily, even though they are not included — or at least not explicitly named — in this generally accepted classification. Furthermore, an objection to such a classification could be expected from other disciplines. The authors prove this in the present article using the example of music, which is here "shared" between two groups — festivals and culture and entertainment, which certainly does not add to a better understanding or, in more practical terms, better management of cultural

b. Based on the review of the latest literature and on the practice of destination management, as well as on professional training in the field of destination management in the analyzed example (for example, Experta Business Academy, Zagreb, [23]), a certain amount of confusion

1. Research themes on the experience and meaning of event tourism 2. Research themes associated with the antecedents of event tourism

4. Research themes associated with dynamic processes in event tourism

3. Research themes on planning and managing event tourism

5. Research issues associated with the economic effects of events

6. Studies of resident and social impact on event tourism

It is generally accepted that tourist boards (or DMOs in some countries) should use the event portfolio method as a starting point in event management. The crucial question in using this method seems to be which kind of events (according to their contents, groups of events, subgroups, the targeted segments of the market, etc.) should be included in the portfolio. Ziakias and Costa also agree with this, stating that "Although host communities have begun to capitalize on the portfolio of recurring events to achieve a range of benefits, there is a knowledge gap, scarce research, and empirical evidence about the event portfolio phenomenon" [24].

The key issue, in the view of the authors of the present article, is stakeholders' consensus or the possibility of a conflict among them. This was also pointed out by Andersson and Getz: "The extent to which festivals can function as sustainable attractions, while fulfilling their social and cultural roles at the community level, is an issue of considerable importance. In this context, sustainability will often depend upon the political and tangible support of key stakeholders" [25].

In regard to event tourism management, a consensus has been reached concerning the necessity of the stakeholder theory application. However, the key challenge to the practical application of this theory is found in the strong interaction of different stakeholders and their interests, which sometimes create synergy and sometimes breed antagonism. For example, certain authors have previously pointed out that "Stakeholder theory stresses the interactions of power, legitimacy and urgency" [26]. It is precisely these characteristics, and the "struggle" among stakeholders at different power levels in particular, that frequently allow for a balance of power within the stakeholders' network, which certainly reflects on the strategy and policies of event management, as well as on the event portfolio itself as the core category in the given context.

To this effect, in an interesting study titled Cultural Tourism: The Partnership Between Tourism and Cultural Heritage, the authors Bob McKercher and Hilary Du Cros stress that "there is underperformance of many cultural tourism activities" (p. xi), as they call for the efforts to bridge the gap between cultural heritage management and tourism (p. xii). In their publication, authors also present and describe different degrees/levels of cooperativeness or conflict among individual stakeholders in cultural tourism, primarily between those from the field of culture on the one hand and those from the field of tourism on the other. According to the authors, the degrees are the following: full cooperation, working relationship, peaceful co-existence, parallel existence/blissful ignorance, mild annoyance, nascent conflict, and full conflict. This proposition inevitably opens up questions and creates a platform for further questions and research areas and issues, mainly those pertaining to the management of conflicts within the stakeholders' network in event management.

In general terms, promoting additional education and organizing various creative workshops or team-building activities within the tourism destination would certainly contribute to the development of networking and synergy, and consequently improve the success of the destination. The first step, however, is to be rich, a higher level of awareness of the latent conflict in practice on these two fields, where it often lies without being openly spoken of, being explained away as an outcome of personal issues, or its cause being simply misunderstood. It is, therefore, right to ask: Is event management in a tourist destination battlefield or area of common interest?

Finally, the authors of the present article support the view that the field of event studies, reviewed by Getz [27, 28], depicts the expanding field of event management and the wider contribution of social sciences to this interdisciplinary area of study.
