DEFINING THE ESSENCE OF THE EVENT IN THE CONTEXT OF EVENT TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The article defines the essence of an event as a motivating factor in tourism. An event is understood as a set of phenomena that are distinguished by their ambiguity, significance for a given society or humanity as a whole, for small groups or individuals. The key aspect in the formation of event tours of this type is careful and timely planning of the event. The article offers a typology of four main categories of planned events in the context of event tourism: business events (MICE sector) cover events in convention and exhibition centres, as well as small meetings in restaurants, hotels and resorts; sports events require special venues such as stadiums and arenas; festivals are less tied to specific locations and can be held in parks, on the streets, in theatres and concert halls; cultural and entertainment events are mostly organised by the private sector and use a variety of locations. It has been established that the effectiveness of an event is determined not only by the quality of preparation of the event itself, but also by the stage of preparation and the use of impressions left after its completion. In modern societies, events perform economic and social functions, become more complex and sophisticated. They are a highly sought-after activity that helps to bring people together and develop the economic, social and cultural potential of a territory. Event tourism is a unique type of tourism in terms of the breadth and variety of forms and types of events associated with it. The model of perception of events by tourists is presented. It is determined that organised events as a form of human activity have a certain impact. The impact of events and event tourism is analysed in three key aspects - social, environmental and economic. It was found that events are very diverse and multifaceted. Organised events not only affect the economy of the host country, city or community, but also have a positive or negative impact on the host community itself, its culture and natural environment. In general, the development of event tourism should make a significant contribution to the sustainable development of the region's and country's economy by increasing tax payments to the local budget, improving the quality of life of the population, additional funding for programmes to protect and restore cultural, historical and natural heritage sites, implementing environmental programmes, preserving and developing the social and cultural environment.