Boukas, Nikolaos

Purpose - Although the core phenomenon of events is the experiences and the meanings attached to them, there is limited management research on the experiential, existential and ontological dimensions of events. Phenomenology provides a sound philosophical framework for studying the multifaceted dimensions of experiences and associated meanings of events. However, quite surprisingly, phenomenology has not yet been systematically applied on the event management field. The purpose of this conceptual paper is to introduce phenomenology to the study of events, demonstrate its value for the field and encourage as well as guide its application on event management research.Design/methodology/approach - A review and synthesis of the main phenomenological streams of thought was undertaken in order to develop a research paradigm for the application of phenomenology on the event management field. Findings - The paper explains why phenomenology is needed in the study of events and their management, its conceptual underpinnings and streams of thought and finally suggests a research framework for conducting phenomenological studies in event management. Research limitations/implications - The consequences of the phenomenological perspective are delineated for explaining how the study of event meanings and experiences can be undertaken from this perspective. The limitations of phenomenology are noted such as the emphasis on “lifeworld” subjectivity and subsequent difficulty to claim the generalizability of research findings. Practical implications - The suggested research framework can guide future event management research on how to apply phenomenology to the study of event experiences and meanings. On this basis, practitioners can get insight regarding how to develop and design events that optimize the perceived experiences of attendees. Originality/value - While the experiential paradigm and the phenomenological turn have been spread across many disciplines emphasizing the essence of lived experiences in a variety of human interactions and exchanges, the event management field lags behind. This is unfortunate and has to be addressed as the experiences and meanings shape the essence of events. Therefore, this conceptual paper hopes to inspire, encourage and guide event management researchers to embrace and apply the phenomenological perspective on their future research endeavors, which can profitably complement and expand the predominant research paradigms in the field.

This study examines the impacts of the global economic crisis on Cyprus tourism and the pertinent policy responses. A qualitative approach was adopted by conducting eight semi-structured interviews with tourism authorities and suppliers/professionals. Findings indicated the main impacts of the crisis on Cypriot tourism: lack of competitiveness, decreased visitation/revenues, inadequate quality and escalated pricing. Furthermore, findings identify three types of policy measures: (i) immediate response measures; (ii) foreign investment in tourism; and (iii) diversification of the tourism product and quality improvement. The study highlights the need for Cyprus to develop a comprehensive tourism planning framework. It is suggested that crisis plans of small island states should be developed upon a holistic framework that leverages their destination capitals.

The common examination of the event and tourism experience can reveal the attached meanings that exemplify the valued characteristics of a destination in the perceptions of tourists. From this standpoint, this study employed a phenomenological approach conducting eight unstructured interviews to explore the experience and assigned meanings of tourists who attended the carnival in Limassol, Cyprus. Results indicate that the meanings of tourist experiences in the carnival were extracted as continuously evolving products shaped by the interaction of two interrelated dramaturgical states, namely the generalized sociality and perceived community metamorphosis, and the interfering dimension of obstruction referring to organizational aspects constraining the tourist experience. The findings of this exploratory phenomenological study bring into the fore the need for more effectively incorporating events into a destination's product mix by designing experiences that leverage event meanings in synergy with unique destination features, thereby enhancing their impact on tourists. On these grounds, it is argued that the phenomenological perspective applied on the study of event tourism can enable destination marketing and management to develop a joint framework for cross-leveraging events and destination assets, hence, synergistically optimizing both social and tourism ends for host destinations. To this end, the study highlights the need for future research to start exploring systematically the relationship between the meanings of tourist experiences and the characteristics of a destination's product mix.

The paper explores how Cyprus can increase its competitiveness, sustaining its magnitude and attractive attributes, and ensuring residents’ well-being. The study evaluates the suitability of an ‘inside-out’ planning approach to island tourism development. Eleven interviews were conducted with tourism policy-makers and stakeholders complemented by documentary analysis of official policy sources. Findings indicate that Cyprus tourism policy addresses only indirectly residents’ well-being, and therefore a policy re-orientation focusing on local prosperity is needed. It is proposed that an ‘inside-out’ approach stemming from the kind of development that locals want for improving their quality of life can foster islands’ socio-cultural revitalisation. An ‘inside-out’ approach can redirect Cyprus tourism policy to focus on alternative forms of tourism such as rural/special interest tourism. However, to reconfigure its tourism product, Cyprus should remedy the ‘top-down’ and bureaucratic planning processes that create challenges for the sustainable development of tourism. The adoption of an ‘inside-out’ approach can enable ‘bottom-up’ decision-making by empowering residents to partake in local communities' tourism planning intending to improve life quality. Broadly, these conditions need to be further examined within the context of small island destinations in order to find the means for implementing their repositioning/rebranding driven by a local focus aimed at enhancing residents' well-being.

Small island states, due to their size, remoteness and dependence on foreign capital, are often susceptible to various global disruptions and crises. The effects of such crises can be chaotic, seriously damaging their economies and altering their systems. However, in the context of tourism crisis management, linear approaches are predominant overlooking the chaotic characteristics and transformations of the complex tourism system. In response, this research investigates the implications of the economic crisis and the interaction effects of unforeseen events, on Cypriot tourism through a chaos theory perspective. Based on semi-structured interviews, archival document analysis and a pertinent literature review, findings indicate that the evolution of Cyprus tourism was not a linear process, but instead iterative, characterised by interactions of several endogenous and exogenous events that have shaped its systemic transformation. The research reveals the lack of comprehensive policy responses to crises that would enable the sustainable tourism development of Cyprus. The paper concludes that it is imperative for small island states to understand holistically the interrelated dimensions of crises and therefore mitigate their detrimental consequences. To this end, tourism policy needs to realise that crises and sustainability are not linear processes but evolving systemic configurations that necessitate the preparedness of tourism policy-makers and stakeholders to anticipate change and swiftly respond.

Although academic literature has examined sport events in urban and rural communities, there is limited research on the forces and dynamics that influence the sustainability of sport events in islands. Cyprus represents a small island developing state with an embryonic event industry, which poses the question whether the emergence of new events can contribute to its sustainable development. The purpose of this study is to examine the impacts of two nascent sport events: the "Limassol Marathon" and the "Tour of Cyprus Cycling Challenge," focusing on their prospects for creating strategic outcomes that can contribute to the sustainability and rejuvenation of Cyprus as a tourism destination. The study employed a triangulation research technique through the application of mixed methods, conducting first semistructured interviews with event organizers, and thereafter a survey examining the perceived experiences of event participants. Findings illustrate the interrelationships of new small-scale events that can amplify their synergistic value by enabling the achievement of multiple purposes. Implications are drawn concerning the synergistic value of small-scale sport events and the strategic processes for creating a range of sustainable event outcomes.

This study examines the effects of the Olympic Games on Athens' cultural tourism and the city's potential to leverage the Olympic legacy in synergy with its rich heritage in order to enhance its tourism product during the post-Games period. In doing so, a qualitative and interpretive approach was employed. This includes a literature review on Athens' 2004 Olympics to identify the sport facilities and regeneration projects, which constitute the Olympic legacy and heritage. Based on that, an empirical analysis was undertaken, by collecting official documents about the 2004 Olympics, and conducting five semi-structured interviews with tourism/administrative officials. The findings indicate that the Olympiad contributed significantly to Athens' built and human heritage, revealing the dimensions of new venues/facilities, infrastructure, transportation and aesthetic image of the city, and human capital enhancement. Hence, the Games affected to the multifaceted representation and reconstruction of the city's identity and cultural heritage. However, the potential afforded from the post-Olympic Athens remains unrealised due to lack of strategic planning/management. The study concludes that there is a need to develop cross-leveraging synergies between the Olympic legacy and cultural tourism for the host city. Finally, a strategic planning framework for leveraging post-Games Olympic tourism is suggested in order to maximise the benefits of Olympic legacy and heritage in a host city's tourism development.

This paper examines the effects of global change on the status and qualities of the Greek national capital, Athens, focusing on how they affect the development of cultural tourism in the city. Although Athens constituted one of the most significant destinations for Greek tourism in the past, in recent years it started to weaken. Athens is characterised by a series of problems, among them are the degradation of its environment and quality of life and traffic congestion. However, in terms of tourism development, the Olympic Games helped in re-imaging the city and upgrading its infrastructure. This study based on semi-structured interviews with top officials reveals how global change has affected Athens' socio-cultural/economic status, identity and image. Despite the tourism policy/planning responses to global changes, Athens' tourism continues to decline leaving unexplored potential such as its rich cultural heritage, new multicultural identity and the New Acropolis Museum. The paper suggests that cultural elements of capital cities must be multidimensional including a variety of attractions and amenities. The use of cultural heritage assets needs to be in line with global developments in order for cities to effectively leverage heritage for cultural tourism.

The study examines the perceptions of golf tourists in Cyprus, focusing on the sustainable character of golf practices through a series of statements that explore their motivation, and the experienced attributes of the Cypriot golf tourist product. Based upon a survey in three Cypriot golf courses, results show that the major motives of golf tourists to visit Cyprus include the island's natural characteristics and the friendly environment. Furthermore, their perceptions concern their social interaction, environment and relaxation. The findings provide insight for the policy-makers to understand golf tourists' perceptions and design accordingly the Cypriot golf tourism product. An integrative model is proposed for examining the motivation and perceptions of golf tourists in relation to attributes that can shape meaningful experiences and the sustainable development of golf tourism. This line of inquiry can be a useful perspective in examining comprehensively the shaping of sport tourist experiences within a sustainability context.

Purpose: Although research on the impacts of the Olympic Games on Athens addressed the impact of the Games on economy, generic tourism, and urban restructuring, there has not been given to date attention on the prospects for sport tourism development in Athens as a result of hosting the Olympics, especially if it is considered that the construction of Olympic facilities was legitimized by the government's intention to use them for sport. To address this omission, the purpose of this study is to draw attention to examining the challenges and potential of post-Olympic Athens to exploit its Olympic legacy for the development of sport tourism. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative approach was employed by conducting nine semi-structured interviews with Athens' tourism/administrative officials and analyzing them in line with pertinent literature. Findings: Results show that the city's tourism officials respond with ad-hoc policies in their effort to capitalize on Athens' Olympic legacy. Consequently, Athens' potential is constrained by the absence of a comprehensive tourism policy aimed at enriching and diversifying the city's post-Olympic tourism product. In this context, the study shows that there is limited awareness by the city's tourism administration for sport tourism development and for establishing appropriate coordination mechanisms, which could foster mutually beneficial links between sport and tourism stakeholders. This leaves unexploited the potential for utilizing effectively Athens' Olympic facilities and destination capitals in developing a competitive sport tourism product mix. Research limitations/implications: A limitation of the study is that it examines Athens' sport tourism prospects through the lens of tourism policy. Future studies are needed to examine also sport policy. On a broader level, it is suggested that future research should extend the focus on the study of post-event leverage to find the best means for fostering post-Games Olympic tourism from a sustainability perspective. Practical implications: To redress post-Olympic Athens' inertia and associated structural problems that affect its tourism policy, the study presents a framework for the strategic planning and sustainable development of sport tourism in Athens. Originality/value: The study by examining Athens' neglected legacy for sport tourism, attempts to synthesize a common ground for sport and tourism development in Olympic cities. This inquiry suggests the need for a broader planning and leveraging framework to extend the study of Olympic tourism in the post-Games period as it relates to the use of Olympic legacy and post-Olympic assets, which can, in turn, reveal the conditions for synergistic development of sport and tourism. Also, such an examination may shed light on what and how can be corrected in order to mitigate the sources and consequences of problems, while providing lessons for future Olympic cities. Finally, by focusing on sport tourism as it is induced by the Olympics knowledge can be advanced on how to effectively leverage the Olympic legacy and develop sustainable post-Olympic tourism products.