ABSTRACT
Cultural festivals are increasingly arousing attention because they generate social capital, promote community development and foster a sense of belonging. With the intention of revealing the real attractiveness as well as the shortcomings of Macao as a tourist destination, this chapter focuses on exploring the relationship between cultural event perception, destination image and the brand of Macao. The analysis presents visitors’ perspectives by taking the Lusofonia Festival, born in the west but developed with eastern features, as a case study. The research adopts both structured and unstructured approaches. The result shows that cultural event perception can positively influence visitors’ cognitive destination image and affect a location’s brand. Festivals such as Lusofonia can play a particularly significant role in engendering multiculturalism and enhancing the brand image of Macao, a unique city blending Eastern, Western and local cultures.
