Cultural events as catalysts of change: Evidence from four European case studies

The cultural heritage of a place or a community offers, in many ways, inspiration for the creation of cultural events, as these can generate important impulses for the conservation of heritage and play a dynamic role in the development of cultural tourism. However, the growing number of events globally, with a wide diversity of themes and concepts, raises the question of extent to which the territorial component - the place s identity and the presence of cultural heritage - still makes a difference by adding value to the tourist opportunity spectrum. The objective of this chapter is to study the ways in which events are inducing changes and to identify the role of local assets in the development of an event (the input for the production process) and the multi dimensional impact (the output) on the place and the local community. The insights discussed result from four case studies, each with a different emphasis. The way an event affects the local economy and thus stimulates tourism is a key issue in most event assessment studies, an approach adopted in the Savonlinna, Finland study. The multidimensional impacts of events are central to the three other case studies: rural revitalization as the result of a bottom-up initiative (Marciac, France); the strength of intangible heritage in the process of territorial identity (re)building (Salento, Italy); and the development of an event monitor as a policy tool for local authorities (Ghent, Belgium). Together, the four case studies reveal the different dynamics of events in the local and regional cultural economy and, above all, the ways in which a process of cultural identity building is initiated, supported and managed.