Event tourism and event imposition: A critical case study from Kangaroo Island, South Australia

Abstract

Events are increasingly a focus for destination marketing organisations because of the tourists numbers and spending they attract. As a result, an event tourism phenomenon has emerged which seeks to exploit events as tourism assets for growing tourism. Such practices may have significant consequences for local communities. This article offers a case study analysis of the 2011 Kangaroo Island Pro-Surf and Music Festival to illustrate how such dynamics can play out. This event was developed by event tourism authorities without pre-consultation with the impacted community, which led to community opposition. This opposition undermined the event's success and future. This work offers a detailed case study that provides some insight into the policy dynamics of the event instigators operating under a neoliberal policy paradigm. This article contributes to efforts to build knowledge resulting from critical deconstructions of political and economic dynamics that shape tourism policy and planning (Dredge & Jamal, 2015).