Mega-Event Destination Participants' Behavior Research

Rising rapidly in recent years as a travel form since 1990s, mega-event tourism in China exerts a wide influence mainly in aspects of destination economic developments and tourism industrial upgrading, etc. Mega-event tourism hence attracts great attention of local governments, tourism enterprises and local community of a tourism destination. However only based on a clear understanding of the internal mechanism and external developing environment of the mega-event industry, we could make the best use of the industry's potential and achieve a comprehensive goal of improving social, economic and cultural development of a destination. In this regard, the destination support system, which consists of local government, tourism enterprises and community residents, is brought into the research framework. With a combined use of qualitative and quantitative research methods, this paper studies Hangzhou as a case to explore the participation behaviors of local government, tourism enterprises and community in mega-events, in order to increase their participant behavior and interaction. This study shows that with regard government participant behavior, combining studies of government actions'motives and expectations, a government-led model should be a more appropriate model in our present stage of development. With regard to tourism enterprises participant behaviors, the choice of tourism enterprises is based on their capability to access to the core business areas of event-tourism industry cluster with a background of an integration trend of the two industries. There are three models:an extension of the existing tourism business, industry mergers and acquisitions, as well as expansion its businesses within core areas of event-tourism industry. In terms of community participation, through the literature analysis, firstly some perception affects of local residents towards a mega-event have been identified as the theoretical basis for the design of a questionnaire. Then through surveys and use of SPSS statistical software, according to research needs, correlation analysis has been done among destination residents' basic situation, their willingness to participate and actual participation levels. Identified problems are as follow: significant perceptual factors on the wishes of residents to participate a mega-event, necessary motivations to be given to increase actual participation.In sum, this paper proposed recommendations to improve and optimize the behaviors of the support system of a mega-event destination. Suggestions to improve government participant behaviors mainly are:to adapt to the political system environment, highlighting the regional comparative advantages and achieving city's integrated utility objectives. In terms of tourism enterprises behavior, proposals made are in order to accelerate integration of event and tourism industry, play advantage and enhancing innovation in industrial clusters, and improve Hangzhou's overall competitiveness as a mega-event destination. At last, improvement of resident's participant behavior is suggested mainly through policy-oriented, market-oriented, and public opinion methods. Finally, from interactive point of view, synthesis recommendations to increase participant behavior of the destination support system including the government, tourism enterprises and community residents are put forward, in the purpose of promoting the development of Hangzhou's mega-event industry.