Event tourism is one of the important types of modern tourism industry. For many countries of the world and Europe, it is a major source of replenishment of the state budget. What are the features of event tourism? What types of it can be called? And how developed is it in Russia? Read all about it below.
Event tourism: the essence of the phenomenon
What is event tourism? What are its features? One small example will help answer this question. Imagine a small old town with a certain set of historical and architectural sights, several museums. And then one day the local authorities of this town make a decision: to establish an aeronautics festival. A couple of years later, thousands of tourists come here to watch dozens of huge and colorful balloons rise into the sky.
This is what event tourism looks like literally. In English-language literature, there is also such a thing as "event tourism". The word event can be translated into Russian precisely as "event","show", "ceremony". Thus, event tourism is nothing more than the movement of people to attend an event that takes place outside their permanent place of residence.
The events that attract tourists can be very different. For example, it can be a music festival with performances by famous rock bands, or a complex of street theatrical performances. Active movement of travelers also provokes some sports competitions (for example, the World Cup or the Olympics).
The role and development of event tourism
In the global tourism industry, this variety of it was firmly established only at the end of the last century. In the next decade, the event tourism sector on the planet showed an impressive rate of growth and development. Millions of people leave their towns and villages every year to visit one of the festivals, etc.
Events are attractive because they are unique, authentic and never repeated. In other words, in order to get bright and exceptional emotions, a tourist needs to be in a certain place and at a certain time.
What is the role of event tourism? It can perform several important functions. For example:
- attract new tourists;
- stimulate the development of the infrastructure of the settlement;
- promote the revival of "depressed" cities and towns;
- help build a positive imageregion.
Main types of events
Modern types of event tourism are determined by the theme of certain events (events). Some of them are held only for the sake of fun, relaxation and entertainment. Others set themselves more fundamental goals: for example, educational, educational or sports.
The typology of events in event tourism provides for the allocation of several of their classes (types). Among them are:
- cultural events (carnivals, festivals, concerts, exhibitions, etc.);
- sports and entertainment (world and European championships, Olympic competitions);
- scientific and educational events (conferences, symposiums, seminaries and lectures);
- business (meetings, conferences, presentations, business fairs and more).
Event tourism in the world: the most famous festivals and events
Event tourism in the world is developing very rapidly. After all, it provides an opportunity not only to have a great rest, but also to become an integral part of something grandiose and big. Unusual event tours can give a person a whole bunch of bright and unforgettable emotions.
Perhaps the most famous carnivals in the world are Venetian and Brazilian. They amaze guests with their scale and duration. For several weeks, two cities - Venice and Rio de Janeiro - essentially turn into huge festival venues.
Thousands of flora lovers every Septembercome to Amsterdam for the annual Flower Parade, and also to Japan to see the bonsai festival with their own eyes. Admirers of alcoholic drinks can be seen at the Oktoberfest in Germany or at the wine festival in Moldova.
There are sports as well as music events (the most popular are the annual Eurovision Popular Song Contest, the Salzburg Music Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival and others). And cities like Milan or Paris are like a magnet for people who seriously follow the latest fashion trends.
Brazilian Carnival: grandiose and colorful
Carnival in Rio de Janeiro (as well as in other Brazilian cities) is held annually. At its core, it is a kind of analogue of the Russian Maslenitsa, marking the beginning of Lent. This is how Brazilians say goodbye to "meat pleasures" for forty days. Carnival has long been the most important folk festival in this Latin American country.
This celebration was "brought" to Brazil by the Portuguese back in the 17th century. In the following centuries, the carnival changed under the cultural influence of other countries - primarily France and Italy. In the 19th century, the carnival in Brazil was enriched with various masks, colorful costumes, as well as some colorful characters that have survived to this day.
Oktoberfest: fun and heady
Oktoberfest is a massive beer festival held annually in Munich. The festival lasts for about two weeks. During this time, its participants, who come from all over the world,drink up to six million liters of beer!
In general, about 6 million tourists visit the Oktoberfest in Munich every year. The total cash turnover of the holiday is approximately 450 million euros. Throughout the celebration, more than a hundred medical workers work on the territory of the festival, whose task is to bring to life too zealous "beer tourists".
Event tourism in Russia and its development
How developed is event tourism in Russia? Today, our country can offer foreign tourists several high-quality and interesting events and events. Among these:
- Golden Mask (Theatre Festival).
- International Arts Festival in Kaliningrad.
- Victory Day at Borodino.
- Kinotavr festival in Sochi.
- Ysykhak summer holiday in Yakutia and others.
In terms of diversity, the Russian event tourism market is in no way inferior to the foreign one. However, in terms of funding, scale and level of training, it loses significantly.
It is very important to realize that event tourism can become an inexhaustible source of income for a particular city or region of Russia. So, for example, in Tobolsk alone, about 20 different events are held annually, which annually replenish the city's budget by about 50 million rubles.
Of course, the underdevelopedthe infrastructure of the country (bad roads, lack of a sufficient number of good hotels, etc.). Quite often, this type of tourism puts a spoke in the wheels and the passivity of officials, their unwillingness to take part in the preparation for this or that event.
In conclusion…
Event tourism is a branch of the tourism industry that is actively developing in the 21st century. These are multiple trips to attend certain events, festivals, sports or music events.
The most visited and popular world events are the Olympic Games, carnivals in Venice and Rio de Janeiro, Oktoberfest, Formula 1 car races, Eurovision, the Sedan Medieval Festival and others.
The Russian event tourism market is also actively developing, but it is still significantly inferior to the foreign one. All events in Russia lose to foreign ones both in terms of scale and funding.
