ABSTRACT
A primary function of a hallmark event is to provide the host community with an opportunity to secure high prominence in the tourism marketplace. There is no lack of research on the impacts of hallmark events on the host cities. However, the impact on the well-being of non-host community is underexplored. Extant tourism literature has suggested examining events and festivals as a fertile area to explore the transformative linkages to well-being and happiness. This transformative mode brings about life altering impacts on these experiences, allowing spectators far and wide to find new meaning and develop a set of expectations. The 2016 Olympic Games were a historic moment for Singaporeans, as the country came to a standstill when Joseph Schooling won the nation’s first ever Olympic gold medal in the 100 metres butterfly swimming event. Using social media analysis through netnography method, this chapter identifies the transformation the 2016 Olympic Games had on the spectators in Singapore. This study advances the knowledge boundary of hallmark events by connecting reverberations on a society and individual well-being beyond the immediate vicinity of the host destination.
