ABSTRACT
Objective: The purpose of this development is to present the opportunities provided by festivals as organized events for the sustainable development of tourism regions.
Theoretical Framework: The article focuses on several key concepts. First, it examines the role of festivals as organized events in promoting tourism. Secondly, it is based on the sustainability principles, balancing environmental, economic and socio-cultural factors. Lastly, it considers event tourism as a significant driver for local development.
Method: An empirical research which includes an analysis of published materials and documents that study organized events and festivals in particular as part of cultural and historical tourism was conducted.
Results and Discussion: Festivals significantly contribute to the sustainable development of tourism regions by enhancing local cultural identity and attracting tourists. The successful organization of festivals can strengthen the image of a region, promoting long-term benefits for both the tourism industry and local communities.
Research Implications: Festivals can serve as strategic tools for sustainable tourism development by fostering regional cultural identity and attracting tourists. Policymakers and tourism managers should prioritize festival planning and management as a means to enhance the economic, social and cultural sustainability of tourism regions.
Originality/Value: The originality of the article lies in its focus on festivals as a unique catalyst for the sustainable development of tourism regions, highlighting their multifaceted impact on local economies, culture, and social cohesion. This study provides valuable insights into how well-managed festivals can enhance the long-term sustainability of tourism destinations, offering practical guidance for policymakers and event organizers.
Keywords: Organized Events, Festival, Sustainable Development.
RESUMO
Objetivo: O propósito deste desenvolvimento é apresentar as oportunidades fornecidas pelos festivais como eventos organizados para o desenvolvimento sustentável das regiões turísticas.
Referencial Teórico: O artigo foca em vários conceitos-chave. Primeiro, examina o papel dos festivais como eventos organizados na promoção do turismo. Em segundo lugar, baseia-se nos princípios da sustentabilidade, equilibrando fatores ambientais, econômicos e socioculturais. Por fim, considera o turismo de eventos como um motor significativo para o desenvolvimento local.
Método: Foi realizada uma pesquisa empírica que inclui uma análise de materiais e documentos publicados que estudam eventos organizados e festivais, em particular, como parte do turismo cultural e histórico.
Resultados e Discussão: Os festivais contribuem significativamente para o desenvolvimento sustentável das regiões turísticas ao promover a identidade cultural local e atrair turistas. A organização bem-sucedida de festivais pode fortalecer a imagem de uma região, promovendo benefícios de longo prazo para a indústria do turismo e para as comunidades locais.
Implicações da Pesquisa: Os festivais podem servir como ferramentas estratégicas para o desenvolvimento sustentável do turismo, promovendo a identidade cultural regional e atraindo turistas. Os formuladores de políticas e gestores de turismo devem priorizar o planejamento e a gestão de festivais como um meio de aprimorar a sustentabilidade econômica, social e cultural das regiões turísticas.
Originalidade/Valor: A originalidade do artigo reside no enfoque dos festivais como um catalisador único para o desenvolvimento sustentável das regiões turísticas, destacando seu impacto multifacetado nas economias locais, cultura e coesão social. Este estudo oferece percepções valiosas sobre como festivais bem geridos podem aprimorar a sustentabilidade de longo prazo dos destinos turísticos, oferecendo orientação prática para formuladores de políticas e organizadores de eventos.
Palavras-chave: Eventos Organizados, Festival, Desenvolvimento Sustentável.
RESUMEN
Objetivo: El propósito de este desarrollo es presentar las oportunidades que ofrecen los festivales como eventos organizados para el desarrollo sostenible de las regiones turísticas.
Marco Teórico: El artículo se centra en varios conceptos clave. Primero, examina el papel de los festivales como eventos organizados en la promoción del turismo. En segundo lugar, se basa en los principios de sostenibilidad, equilibrando factores ambientales, económicos y socioculturales. Por último, considera el turismo de eventos como un motor significativo para el desarrollo local.
Método: Se llevó a cabo una investigación empírica que incluye un análisis de materiales y documentos publicados que estudian eventos organizados y, en particular, festivales como parte del turismo cultural e histórico.
Resultados y Discusión: Los festivales contribuyen significativamente al desarrollo sostenible de las regiones turísticas al promover la identidad cultural local y atraer turistas. La organización exitosa de festivales puede fortalecer la imagen de una región, promoviendo beneficios a largo plazo tanto para la industria del turismo como para las comunidades locales.
Implicaciones de la Investigación: Los festivales pueden servir como herramientas estratégicas para el desarrollo sostenible del turismo al fomentar la identidad cultural regional y atraer turistas. Los responsables de políticas y los gestores de turismo deben priorizar la planificación y gestión de festivales como un medio para mejorar la sostenibilidad económica, social y cultural de las regiones turísticas.
Originalidad/Valor: La originalidad del artículo radica en su enfoque en los festivales como un catalizador único para el desarrollo sostenible de las regiones turísticas, destacando su impacto multifacético en las economías locales, la cultura y la cohesión social. Este estudio ofrece valiosas perspectivas sobre cómo los festivales bien gestionados pueden mejorar la sostenibilidad a largo plazo de los destinos turísticos, brindando orientación práctica a los responsables de políticas y organizadores de eventos.
Palabras clave: Eventos Organizados, Festival, Desarrollo Sostenible.
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1 INTRODUCTION
Over the past decade's tourism supply has been seeking near-perfect quality of tourism service. Tourism products and services offered to tourists are varied, attractive and establishing to a maximum degree the "value-for -money" principle. The abundance of offers renders the distinction of a tourism destination and a specific tourism product a serious challenge to the tourism business. Hence its development should be inextricably linked to innovations and entrepreneurship which lead to the appearance of new varieties of tourism and the diversification of existing ones.
Within the contemporary service sector, tourism included, there is an emphasis on client-oriented, personalized products and adding value through the economy of experiences. Hence the need to create products by taking into account not only the socio-demographic but also the psychographic characteristics of tourists, as well as the specifics of their way of life and their priorities. Awareness about the predominant values of the target audience and the relation between products and the value systems of customers are essential for the positioning of tourism destinations and ensuring their long-term competitiveness based on the concept of sustainable development.
Sustainable tourism development guidelines and management practices are applicable to all forms of tourism and all types of destinations, including mass tourism and the various niche tourism segments. Sustainability principles refer to the environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development and a suitable balance must be established between these three dimensions to guarantee its long-term sustainability.
According to the definition of the World Tourism Organisation, sustainable tourism takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities (UNWTO, 2022). Resources alone are not sufficient for the sustainable development of regions and tourism. It is also necessary to entice them to the so-called "soft measures' for their promotion and this can be achieved through organizing events and festivals.
Sustainable tourism development requires the informed participation of all relevant stakeholders, as well as strong political leadership to ensure wide participation and consensus building. Achieving sustainable tourism is a continuous process and requires constant monitoring of impacts, introducing the necessary preventive and/or corrective measures when necessary.
On the other hand, sustainable tourism should maintain a high level of tourist satisfaction and ensure a meaningful tourism experience, raising tourists' awareness about sustainability issues and promoting sustainable tourism practices among them.
The aim of this paper is to present the opportunities provided by festivals as organized events for the sustainable development of tourism regions.
2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Considering the fact that the competitiveness of any destination depends both on tangible assets and factors (like natural and anthropogenic resources) and on intangible elements (like sustainability, image and brand), regularly organized events may help products, services and destinations stand out among those of competitors. Hence an organized event may be used for identifying a familiar food or beverage that is produced according to traditional methods in a specific region (Blazheva, 2015). These and other measures for dealing with the challenges faced by tourism are often some of the innovations in tourism that offer numerous opportunities for designing development strategies even in periods of crises.
Culture is believed to be a fundamental pillar of tourism activity, which determines the development of cultural and historical tourism. Tourism consumption of heritage both tangible and intangible is a mechanism for creating different types of cultural tourism. Traditions, monuments, music, dances and arts make cultural and historical tourism possible and represent significant components of the tourism product attracting millions of tourists to tourism destinations (Petrova, 2016).
Organising events is becoming increasingly popular as a hybrid of cultural and historical tourism and the so-called "event industry". Special events appear as activities of sporadic nature that usually take place because of some occasion. The aim behind them is to help people spend their leisure time in a meaningful way and to involve them in various activities which are often related to some cultural, folklore, artistic or other topic or have a totally personal or organizational nature. They are organized and conducted outside people's daily routine so that they could celebrate a specific occasion, have fun or face some challenges and adventures (Popova, 2019).
Organised events are becoming increasingly popular which leads to an increasing number of Bulgarian and foreign tourists engaging in event tourism. Event tourism is related to visiting a specific event during a single tourism trip. Some of the most significant organized events may be sports ones, fashion shows, exhibitions and festivals, concerts, national holidays, etc. (Bulganina & Lopatkina, 2015).
Organised events are part of the tourism activities related to offering various public activities and rare natural events that attract tourists with their uniqueness. These events are included in tourism trips and from random become regular in nature. Many experts from different countries summarise that consumer demand for organized events exceeds the demand for short trips and tours. A specific feature of organising events and event tourism is that in addition to recreation which is a compulsory element of the tourism package, various other activities should be included, such as business meetings, conventions, cultural and sports events, holiday celebrations, etc. (Alexandrovna & Morozova).
According to D. Getz, "a special event is an opportunity for entertainment, a social or cultural experience beyond the usual or routine everyday life" (Getz, 2005, p. 6). An organised event is a special event that takes place during a specified period of time and gives the participants an opportunity to engage in social interaction. An organized event is usually of short duration and is held repeatedly over some fixed intervals. As a rule, it presents some exciting and attractive activity which takes place in specified geographical regions. The aim behind the event is usually to celebrate or promote a historically or otherwise significant fact. Hence the possibility to diversify the tourism product by organizing different events in a region.
The organized event is becoming one of the main motives for taking a tourist trip to the region. Numerous studies on the impact of the events show that they affect the local economy, tourism, society and favour the sustainable development of the region. The economic effects of the events include an increase in employment, an increase in local taxes. In the social sphere, events contribute to raising awareness and social activity, strengthening local ties, preserving local resources, including intangible and unique cultural and ethnic heritage, affecting the implementation of sustainable development, the theme and purpose of the festival, its participants, costs, who incur costs for participation in the festival and accompanying stays, media coverage and the construction of new infrastructure and renovation of existing ones contribute to the development of tourism (Panfiluk, 2015, p. 1021).
Properly organized, the events have a direct impact on the promotion and creation of a positive image of the region, which is due to the growing number and variety of events organized in recent decades.
Different types of events have been an essential part of public and social life for a very long time. They have been designed as forms of public presentation, civil rituals, and group celebrations. In fact, people in all cultures are aware of the need to allocate some time and space to presenting their arts and to celebrate. These practices date back to ancient times. The variety of events indicates that their origin is related to the birth of societies. Exhibitions and trade shows took place as far back as antiquity. Ancient historians recorded sports events as important and prestigious social activities whose peak was the organization of the ancient Olympic games. Festival-like events existed in the Middle Ages when they were funded by the Church, though similar events date back to the Roman Empire. Even conferences which seem to be a product of contemporary society date back to the 18th century.
It was in the 20th century though that the evolution of various types of events reached a peak and they came to resemble what we consider to be events nowadays. This is due to the discretionary approach; consumers' increased purchasing power and higher standards of living; the shift of focus from fundamental to additional needs and the appearance of entirely new consumer needs which resulted in higher demand for a specific set of entertainment activities. In the economic sense, the development of events has helped resolve the issue of employment and has affected economic growth, especially in developed market economies. The most notable example is that of the impact which mega sports events like the Olympic games or world championships in popular sports have upon the economic growth of host countries. Historic research reveals the evolution of events from primitive gatherings of people for agricultural or religious reasons to contemporary types of events and their traditional character which attracts tourists and establishes locations where they take place as tourism destinations.
Events vary from local community ones (such as folklore festivals) to large-scale events (such as the Olympic games). In general, according to their scope and purpose, events may be classified as private, corporative, charitable, and real-time events (performances) (King, 2013). The latter are of greatest significance to tourism due to their scale and thematic characteristics. Performances may be classified as music events, sports events and festivals. For the purposes of this research, the focus of attention is on festivals that are based on the cultural identity of local communities and contribute to the sustainable development of regions.
Real-time events can be classified as music events, sporting events and festivals. For the purposes of this study, the focus is on festivals that are based on the cultural identity of the local community and contribute to the sustainable development of the region.
The festival is an event that is usually celebrated by a community and focuses on some characteristic aspect of that community, its religion or culture. It is often celebrated as a local or national holiday (Petrova, 2015). Many types of festivals develop in the festival industry, with most countries celebrating important events or traditions with traditional cultural events and activities. Festivals can be classified into the following types (Robertson, 1992):
- Religious holidays. Many of the world's largest festivals have their roots in religion. The events are related to traditions and rituals performed by religious followers to worship the gods. They are accompanied by the organization of feasts and celebrations.
- Carnivals. Many of these types of festivals have their roots in religion, but today the focus has shifted from worshiping religious figures to fun and merriment. Carnival celebrations are held through parades accompanied by music on the streets of the city, and participants wear themed costumes, masks, confetti, balloons.
- Art festivals. More and more cultural festivals are being organized around the world, with every aspect of the arts having an important festival. More specific types of festivals, including those that show intellectual or creative achievements, such as scientific, literary, musical, theatre, film, fashion and historical reconstruction festivals.
- Festivals related to the change of seasonal seasons - winter, spring, summer and autumn. It is no coincidence that some of the oldest festivals on earth coincide with the beginning of the seasons, this is due to the desire to celebrate the new season and emphasize its specific features.
- Food and agriculture. The holiday is not a real holiday without food and drink. Respect for the region's traditional food and drink has held people together for centuries. Closely related to the seasons, many food-based festivals are traditionally held during the harvest, when farmers harvest their crops and there is plenty of food to share.
Regardless of the focus, duration and goals of the festival, its main role in the development of the region is cyclical, which leads to promotion, development and preservation of the destination, development of the local economy and preservation of cultural heritage and traditional values of the local community.
3 METHODOLOGY
To accomplish the aim, we have set, we need to do some empirical research which includes an analysis of published materials and documents that study organized events and festivals in particular as part of cultural and historical tourism. This will make it possible to identify the potential of organized events for sustainable development of the tourism location and to outline the benefits from festivals for sustainable regional development.
4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
The festival sector is among the fastest developing and most popular sectors of the tourism industry with an emphasis on the cultural exchange at an international, national, and local level. Festivals have a major impact on tourism development and the economic development of regions by contributing to higher incomes for local communities, supporting existing enterprises and encouraging the opening of new businesses in the regions.
The national policy for promoting festivals as organized events is related to creating a single Register of tourism festivals and events in compliance with the Ordinance on the National Tourism register and the terms and procedures for entering entities in the National Register of attractions, festivals and events which was adopted with Ordinance 252 of the Council of Ministers from 8th October 2019. According to that Ordinance, tourism attractions, festivals and events shall only be entered in the Register if they are highly attractive to tourists according to the criteria set in the Tourism Act (Tourism Act, 2013). These are:
1. public significance;
2. popularity of the object or the event which renders the country or the municipality recognizable as a tourism destination;
3. existence of long-term tourism interest which is a primary or a secondary motive for tourism trips and excursions;
4. perception of the object or the product as being special or unique;
5. cognitive value of the object or the event;
6. their location in terms of tourism routes.
There are 1,959 festivals and events in the Register of Tourism Festivals and Events of the Ministry of Tourism (Ministry of Tourism, 2022) that meet these criteria. They have been grouped into eight major categories according to the scope of events and their representative functions for establishing, preserving and promoting cultural and historical values, i.e. festivals and events of international significance; of national significance; of regional significance; of municipal significance; of local significance; of regional and local significance; of national, regional and local significance; of other significance (see fig. 1).
As figure 1 indicates, the majority of festivals and events are of local significance (37%); of national significance (29%) and of regional significance (21%). As little as 8% of organized festivals and events are of international significance. Obviously, festivals are considered to be important for local communities and their contribution is most significant for the region where these events take place.
According to data provided in the Register of the Ministry of Tourism, 97% of festivals and events take place annually (see fig. 2)
Festivals which are recorded as one-off events are new activities with no established traditions. Festivals which take place once every few years are usually organized every other year or once every three years. These data indicate that such organized events are sustainable, which undoubtedly is of benefit to the local economy.
As figure 3 indicates, the administrative districts with the highest number of organized events are Bourgas, Veliko Tarnovo, Sofia, Stara Zagora and Plovdiv. Except for the first administrative district, cultural and historical and business tourism dominate tourism development in the rest of them. This is indicative of the correlation between festivals and the existing cultural and historical heritage in the regions.
A reference with the NSI about the number of tourists who stayed overnight in 2021 in each administrative district (fig.4) shows that apart from the districts with highly-developed beach tourism (i.e. Bourgas, Varna, and Dobrich), the largest number of tourists stayed overnight in the administrative districts of Sofia, Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo, and Stara Zagora which are destinations with established traditions in cultural and historical tourism.
The above data help us identify the opportunities which festivals as organized events create for the sustainable development of the regions.
If Bulgaria makes the most of the cultural identity of local communities in line with current global trends and growing interest in creative tourism, it has the potential to promote itself as a destination through the variety of musical, folklore and cultural events which are organized throughout the year.
Hence achieving sustainable development of tourism regions is crucial for the rational exploitation of available environmental resources, maintaining the basic environmental processes and preserving the natural heritage and the biodiversity of the country. On the other hand, when designing a regional tourism product, it is necessary to respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities and preserve the established cultural heritage and traditional values and contribute to intercultural agreement and tolerance. Furthermore, it is necessary to ensure viable long-term economic operations that would guarantee socio-economic benefits that will be allocated to all stakeholders. These benefits include sustainable employment and opportunities for earning an income, social services and alleviation of property.
Festivals combine concepts like "manmade" and "cultural" and since they are usually held within a specific geographical region, their organization is supposed to involve local stakeholders from both the private and the public sector while observing the existing environmental regulations and safety standards. Although the impact of festivals upon the environment is mainly associated with a number of negative effects such as littering, air pollution, water contamination, destruction of vegetation, congestion and carbon emissions from the transportation of people and goods, it is possible to manage the impact of festivals upon the environment through sustainable event management and the application of a sustainability framework including long-term planning. Festivals can thus be transformed from an ordinary business into an environmentally significant event with a focus on environmental values. The number of events which aim at minimizing the environmental stress for the territories where they take place is increasing. This, in addition to the legal requirements which organisers must meet, strengthens the belief that festivals comply with the environmental requirements on which the principles of sustainable development of tourism destinations are based. To create a suitable environment for the organization of festivals, entities invest in restoring territories and providing the necessary amenities. Some of the festivals are related to representatives of the fauna in the region with an emphasis on preserving the habitats of different animal species. Others focus on local flora and focus on plant species that are unique to the region.
The economic benefits from successful festivals affect the entire local economy both in terms of tourism and in terms of business which is not related to tourism. As a rule, festivals attract participants. Participants spend money and thus encourage the local economy at the place where a festival is organized but also beyond that place. On-site expenses include admission charges, parking fees, purchase of foods, beverages, souvenirs, etc. In additions, expenses made outside the venues where a festival takes place generate income for the community since visitors stay at accommodation establishments, fill the tanks of their vehicles at local gas stations, make purchases in souvenir and gift shops, and dine at restaurants.
Festivals provide free marketing and publicity of the destination, its tourism sites and local businesses. Organisers of festivals often allocate a substantial part of their budget to the promotion of the event and that event is of course related to the place where it takes place. On the other hand, visitors and participants post comments and photographs about their experiences in social networks and thus contribute to making the region popular.
Secondly, the planning and holding of a festival involves multiple members of the local community, which brings a number of social benefits. Festivals tend to unite communities and to inspire a sense of proud and belonging to the history of that community. Experts agree that being proud of one's hometown is a crucial factor for developing and improving any community. Citizens who are proud of their community are more likely to speak in favour of their hometown in front of guests and to volunteer in organisations and activities which are in favour of the common welfare.
Festivals promote pride of the community by celebrating the items that make a town or city special and inspire positive feelings. Those items could be "major" as is the ethnic heritage for example, or "minor" as is a piece of cake for instance.
Whatever the subject of the festival, it will undoubtedly have some educational value. Visitors will thus be able to learn new things not from books or in a classroom, but will gain practical insights from the demonstrations that are part of the celebration. Such educational experience helps visitors affiliate with the region where a festival is held.
The third social benefit from organizing festivals is encouraging existing partnerships and relations within the community. Most partnerships and relations are established at the stage of planning a festival. It is at that stage that relationships between public and private organisations, governments and stakeholders, civil officers, volunteers, and stakeholders are built. The benefits from the newly established relationships and partnerships continue to exist after the event is over, since people use those relationships and their collective knowledge and skills to improve the conditions in their community.
5 CONCLUSION
Based on the data presented earlier, we may conclude that festivals which are based on cultural and historical heritage promote the development of regions and tourism products and help preserve the cultural heritage and identity of local communities.
Presented data indicate that it would be impossible to organize or hold festivals in regions without developed tourism facilities since special social and living conditions need to be ensured for the participants, for example, accommodation and catering establishments.
On the other hand, when festivals are organized, they have a particular focus, which requires the availability of sufficient resources - natural or anthropogenic - for these events.
The environment in which events are organized should meet the environmental requirements and safety standards, which determines the responsibility towards the territory where a festival takes place.
Festivals therefore have the potential to contribute to the sustainable development of the regions where they take place as well as the sustainable development of tourism in those regions.
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Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this development is to present the opportunities provided by festivals as organized events for the sustainable development of tourism regions. Theoretical Framework: The article focuses on several key concepts. First, it examines the role of festivals as organized events in promoting tourism. Secondly, it is based on the sustainability principles, balancing environmental, economic and socio-cultural factors. Lastly, it considers event tourism as a significant driver for local development. Method: An empirical research which includes an analysis of published materials and documents that study organized events and festivals in particular as part of cultural and historical tourism was conducted. Results and Discussion: Festivals significantly contribute to the sustainable development of tourism regions by enhancing local cultural identity and attracting tourists. The successful organization of festivals can strengthen the image of a region, promoting long-term benefits for both the tourism industry and local communities. Research Implications: Festivals can serve as strategic tools for sustainable tourism development by fostering regional cultural identity and attracting tourists. Policymakers and tourism managers should prioritize festival planning and management as a means to enhance the economic, social and cultural sustainability of tourism regions. Originality/Value: The originality of the article lies in its focus on festivals as a unique catalyst for the sustainable development of tourism regions, highlighting their multifaceted impact on local economies, culture, and social cohesion. This study provides valuable insights into how well-managed festivals can enhance the long-term sustainability of tourism destinations, offering practical guidance for policymakers and event organizers.