Title: Commonwealth Games 2010 and Destination Branding
Abstract: Introduction Sports event tourism has quickly developed into one of the trendiest facets of the 21st Century. Sports tourism is a combination of sports activities and travel. From a marketing and management perspective, it consists of two broad groups of products: (a) sports participation travel (travel for the purpose of participating in a sports, recreation, leisure or fitness activity); and (b) sports spectator travel (travel for the purpose of watching sports, recreation, leisure or fitness activities or events) (Pitts 1999, 31). As a result, staging high profile sports event is increasingly being seen as an important method of supporting a destination's domestic and international tourism image. The sustained increase in tourism-related activity being produced by conducting sporting has successfully cemented sport event tourism's materialization as one of the fastest growing niche market for travel and tourism industry in the 21st century (Chalip & McGuirty 2004). The economic benefits and social opportunities linked with spectator-driven sporting continue to be well documented in academic literature (Ritchie & Adair 2004). Getz (1991, 67) posits events can become the most common channel through which visitors satisfy their desire to sample local foods and traditions, participate in games, or are entertained. Local and regional can have the added advantage of keeping the domestic tourism market active. Effect of sports event such as Commonwealth Games on destination tourism is usual, but it is multiplied in emerging countries, such as India where tourism has started to play an important role. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has rated Asia and the Pacific as the world's second best performing region in terms of arrivals in 2007 after the Middle East, recording an increase by 10% to 184 million arrivals. South Asia recorded an 8% growth in arrivals in 2007, with India sustaining above average growth of 12 %. According to WTTC (2009) the contribution of Travel & Tourism to India's Gross Domestic Product is expected to be at 6.0% (US$67.3 bn) in 2009. The tourism industry in India is significant and effervescent, and the country is fast becoming a major global destination. India's travel and tourism industry is one of the most lucrative sectors in the country, and also is recognized with contributing a considerable amount of foreign exchange. According to Ministry of Tourism, India (Annual Report 2008), the share of India in international tourist arrival has progressively increased from 0.49% in 2005 to 0.55% in 2007. Tourism makes a significant contribution to India's foreign exchange earnings, which grew from US$ 6.17 billion in 2004 to an estimated US$ 11.96 billion in 2007. Domestic tourism too has grown phenomenally over this period. The number of domestic tourists in India has risen from 362.33 million in 2004 to an estimated 462 million in 2006. The World Travel and Tourism Report for 2009 for 180 countries worldwide also ranks the Indian Travel and Tourism economy 14th in absolute size worldwide and 5th in long-term (10-year) growth. Contribution of travel and tourism to gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to be at 6.0 per cent (US$ 67.3 billion) in 2009 rising to US$ 187.3 billion by 2019. Recently, in the wake of the last year 2008 Mumbai (26/11) terror attacks many foreign countries have issued travel advisories against travelling to India. India's Ministry of Tourism (MOT) released numbers showing a 12 % drop in tourists when comparing March 2009 to March 2008. The attacks are expected to affect the image of 'Incredible India' and make it hard for the 'brand' to achieve its objective of doubling tourist arrivals from last year's five million to ten million by 2010. To maintain this growth, India needs to proactively re-brand itself and sports event such as 'Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010', offers the opportunity. Events are becoming established as an integral and major part of India's tourism development and marketing strategies and sports event such as Commonwealth Games 2010 gives the prospect. …
Publication Year: 2009
Publication Date: 2009-07-01
Language: en
Type: article
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