The Contribution of Event Quality Factors on the Development of Memorable Tourism Experiences: Evidence from the 2018 FIFA World Cup

• Published in: Event management Vol. 26; no. 5; pp. 1007 - 1024
• Main Authors: Stergiou, Dimitrios P., Karagiorgos, Thomas, Alexandris, Kostas, Benetatos, Theodore, Balaska, Panagiota
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Putnam Valley Cognizant Communication Corporation 23.06.2022
• Subjects: Event Quality Factors; Events planning; Fifa World Cup; Memorable Tourism Experience Scale; Russia; Soccer; Tourism; Tourism Experience; Tournaments & championships
• ISSN: 1525-9951; 1943-4308
• DOI: 10.3727/152599522X16419948390772

The aim of this study is to test the applicability of the construct of memorable tourism experience in the context of a mega-sport event, and to investigate the contribution of event quality factors on the development of memorable tourism experiences. For the accomplishment of this aim, thestudy investigated the experiences of a sample of international spectators who attended the 2018 FIFA World Cup matches hosted in St. Petersburg, Russia. Data collection took place on-site during the group stage matches hosted at the stadium and was conducted with a self-completion questionnaire using two scales, one for memorable tourism experience and one for event quality factors. The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses provided support for the psychometric properties of revised versions of the two scales. Multiple regression analysis showed that memorable tourism experiences were significantly predicted by the event quality factors, with the authenticity, entertainment, venue quality, and event competition dimensions having the most significant contributions. Theoretical and management implications are discussed.