ABSTRACT
Developing destination-based event tourism strategies Government support at all levels has been integral to the expansion of event tourism. Not only have governments invested in the creation of specialist bodies charged with event tourism development, but many have also funded, or contributed significantly to, event-specific infrastructure, such as convention and exhibition centres and stadiums. For example, BACD’s Investment Register (BACD, 2005) currently notes significant investment of over £4.68 billion in events-infrastructure projects funded from public and private funds. The willingness of governments to support event tourism through policy initiatives and legislation is also increasingly evident. Once the London 2012 Olympics bid was won, for example, the UK Government moved quickly to pass legislation to create organizing bodies, ensure Games security, and allow and expedite Olympic-related developments, including through the naming of an Olympics Minister to oversee the projects. Such willingness, however, can sometimes create problems due to the public’s lack of participation in decision making, as Waitt (2003) noted in connection with the Sydney Olympics.
