Evaluating the Development of Event Tourism: A Systematic Literature Review of Concepts, Practices, and Research Gaps
Keywords:
Event Tourism, Sustainble Tourism, Destination Management, Concepts, Practices, Research gapsAbstract
Event tourism has emerged as a pivotal component of contemporary tourism, contributing to economic growth, cultural exchange, and destination development. This study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) of 120 peer-reviewed articles published between 1998 and 2025, aiming to evaluate the development of event tourism, synthesize existing conceptual frameworks and practices, and identify research gaps. The review reveals that event tourism research has evolved from a primary focus on economic outcomes and mega-events to multi-dimensional perspectives encompassing social, cultural, and environmental considerations. Economic analyses remain predominant, highlighting revenue generation, employment creation, and destination competitiveness, while recent studies increasingly address social cohesion, community engagement, cultural preservation, and sustainable practices. Despite these advances, notable gaps persist, including limited research on small- and medium-scale or community-based events, underrepresentation of developing regions, and a scarcity of longitudinal studies assessing long-term impacts. Methodological diversity is evident, with quantitative approaches dominating economic evaluations and qualitative or mixed methods applied to social, cultural, and environmental dimensions. Emerging areas such as digital integration, green event practices, and participatory planning offer significant opportunities for advancing both theory and practice. Based on the findings, this study emphasizes the need for inclusive, context-sensitive, and longitudinal research approaches, alongside practical strategies that integrate community participation, sustainability principles, and technological innovation. The review contributes a comprehensive synthesis of event tourism development, offering actionable insights for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to enhance the effectiveness, sustainability, and resilience of events as instruments of destination growth and cultural promotion.
References
Getz, D. (2008). Event tourism: Definition, evolution, and research. Tourism Management, 29(3), 403–428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2007.07.003
Getz, D., & Page, S. J. (2016). Progress and prospects for event tourism research. Tourism Management, 52, 593–631. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2015.03.007
Getz, D. (2012). Event studies: Theory, research and policy for planned events. Routledge.
Gibson, H. J. (1998). Sport tourism: A critical analysis of research. Sport Management Review, 1(1), 45–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1441-3523(98)70003-3
Gössling, S., Scott, D., & Hall, C. M. (2020). Pandemics, tourism and global change: A rapid assessment of COVID 19. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 29, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2020.1758708
Handyastuti, I., Rahayu, A., Dirgantari, P. D., & Yuniarsih, T. (2024). Strategy in event tourism and event management: A systematic literature review. In Proceedings of the 8th Global Conference on Business, Management, and Entrepreneurship (GCBME 2023) (pp. 1289–1295). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-443-3_158
Hongdiyanto, C., & Homan, H. (2023). Event destination selection criteria: A systematic literature review. European Modern Studies Journal, 7(4). https://doi.org/10.59573/emsj.7(4).2023.33
Kim, S. S., & Jamal, T. (2007). Tourism, postmodernism, and the media: The example of the Sydney Olympics. Tourism Recreation Research, 32(3), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2007.11081213
Laing, J. (2018). Festival and event tourism research: Current and future perspectives. Tourism Management Perspectives, 25, 165–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2017.11.024
Lee, J., Jee, H., Funk, D., & Jordan, J. (2015). Comparative analysis of expenditure patterns at events. Tourism Economics, 21(2), 345–360. https://doi.org/10.5367/te.2014.0422
Özdipçiner, N. S., Aktaş, E., & Ceylan, S. (2021). A comprehensive review of the development of event tourism impact studies. In Event Tourism Impact Studies (pp. 15–34). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429274398-2
Pike, S., & Page, S. J. (2014). Destination marketing organizations and destination marketing: A narrative analysis. Tourism Management, 41, 202–227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2013.09.009
Prastyo, R. E. (2025). Tourism and economic development in cultural festival based on a successful event in Cempluk Village. Jurnal Aplikasi Manajemen, 23(1), 44–62. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.jam.2025.023.1.03
Purwadi, P. (2023). The impact of events on sustainable tourism. Jurnal Poltekpar NHI, 12(2), 87–105.
Richards, G. (2002). Tourism attraction systems: Exploring cultural behaviour. Annals of Tourism Research, 29(4), 1048–1073. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0160-7383(02)00039-8
Sinurat, R., Hadiwijaya Louk, M. J., & Kuryanto, M. S. (2025). Systematic literature review: The impact of football events on local economy and tourism sector. Competitor: Jurnal Pendidikan Kepelatihan Olahraga, 9(1), 45–64.
Stokes, R. (2004). Event development and policy in Australia. Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events, 1(2), 150–176. https://doi.org/10.1080/1477508042000260773
Wee, H., Mustapha, N. A., & Anas, M. S. (2021). Characteristic of green event practices in MICE tourism: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(16), 271–291. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v11-i16/11234
Yu Ing Yap, S. A., Ayob, N., & Puah, C.-H. (2020). Event tourism demand and selected macroeconomic variables: An econometrics view of the long run and short run relationships. International Journal of Business and Society, 21(2), 619–636. https://doi.org/10.33736/ijbs.3246.2020
Zhang, H., & Zhao, X. (2019). The role of event tourism in destination branding: A meta-analysis. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 12, 100–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2019.03.003
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 M Zakaria, Muhammad Hasbi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
