Image improvement as a tangible legacy of Hallmark events; the case of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa

Abstract

This thesis aims at providing a theoretically grounded and empirically sound insight into the change of the image individuals have of an event-organizing tourist-destination that occurs by spatial action, visiting the event. The main question is ‘what is the impact of visiting a hallmark event, such as the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, on the image visitors have of the hosting destination?’ A quantitative longitudinal survey has been conducted among 96 Dutch visitors of the event. This survey was based upon qualitative interviews with Dutch and South African key actors and complemented by ethnographic observations. The most important finding was that visiting the event led to an improvement of the image the Dutch visitors have of South Africa. The country was seen as safer and more easily travelable than before their trip. Next to this, the Dutch supporters showed that they made use of provided safety zones, but also travelled outside these zones. This finding opens the debate on the theoretical concept of the environmental bubble, which might function in a different manner than previously assumed.