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Abstract

Events and festivals can help attract people to a destination, and this study was to examine how events and festivals can build and diversify tourism. With their programs of pleasurable activities and entertainment, events and festivals have a historical trajectory of delivering development outcomes such as economic restructuring and tourism revenue generation. In addition, events and festivals can provide an opportunity for a leisure, social, or cultural experience that is outside the normal range of visitors’ choices. Furthermore, events and festivals can raise market awareness and boost the local economy.

Based on secondary data from books, research papers, and websites, this study compared Macao and Las Vegas in their events and festivals, visitor data, and expenditure data. The findings indicate that Macao is primarily a day-trip destination for gaming and shopping, with a narrow base of customers mostly from China and Hong Kong. On the other hand, Las Vegas seems to be more diversified in events and festivals, and its visitors are younger and more international. Events and festivals have played a major role in the growth and diversity of tourism for Las Vegas. On the other hand, Macao lags far behind Las Vegas in quantity and variety of events and festivals, but it can learn from the Las Vegas experience and diversify its tourism though continued development of festivals and events.

Keywords

event, festival, diversify, tourism

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