Abstract
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58984/smb2602231a
Sport mega-events can contribute to destination visibility and social engagement, but younger residents’ perceptions of such events remain insufficiently explored. This study examined Generation Z university students’ perceptions of the socio-cultural, direct economic, and tourism-related impacts of the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 2022, as well as their associations with excitement and support for event hosting. Data were collected during the championships through an online survey of 173 students from Belgrade and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and one-way ANOVA. Participants reported the most positive perceptions of tourism-related impacts, followed by socio-cultural impacts, while direct economic impacts received lower ratings. Tourism-related and socio-cultural perceptions were positively associated with excitement and support for hosting the event, whereas direct economic perceptions were not significantly associated with support. Female participants reported more positive socio-cultural and tourism-related perceptions than male participants. The findings suggest that, in this sample, international athletics events were evaluated primarily through tourism, symbolic, and social benefits rather than direct economic expectations.
References
- Al-Emadi, A., Kaplanidou, K., Diop, A., Sagas, M., Le, K. T., & Al-Ali Mustafa, S. (2017). 2022 Qatar World Cup: Impact Perceptions among Qatar Residents. Journal of Travel Research, 56(5), 678-694. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287516652502
- Andereck, K. L., Valentine, K. M., Knopf, R. C., & Vogt, C. A. (2005). Residents’ perceptions of community tourism impacts. Annals of Tourism Research, 32(4), 1056–1076. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2005.03.001
- Bodet, G., & Lacassagne, M. F. (2012). International place branding through sporting events: a British perspective of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. European Sport Management Quarterly, 12(4), 357–374. https://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2012.693114
- Giango, M. K., Hintapan, R., Suson, M., Batican, I., Quiño, L., Capuyan, L., Anoos, J. M., Batoon, J., Aro, J. L., Maturan, F., Yamagishi, K., Gonzales, G., Burdeos, A., & Ocampo, L. (2022). Local Support on Sports Tourism Development: An Integration of Emotional Solidarity and Social Exchange Theory. Sustainability, 14(19), 12898. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912898
- Kaplanidou, K., & Karadakis, K. (2010). Understanding the legacies of a host Olympic city: The case of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 19(2), 110–117. https://doi.org/10.1177/106169341001900207
- Kaplanidou, K., Karadakis, K., Gibson, H., Thapa, B., Walker, M., Geldenhuys, S., & Coetzee, W. (2013). Quality of life, event impacts, and mega-event support among South African residents before and after the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Journal of Travel Research, 52(5), 631–645. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287513478501
- Katz, R., Ogilvie, S., Shaw, J., & Woodhead, L. (2022). Gen Z, explained: The art of living in a digital age. University of Chicago Press.
- Kenyon, J. A., & Bodet, G. (2018). Exploring the domestic relationship between mega-events and destination image: The image impact of hosting the 2012 Olympic Games for the city of London. Sport Management Review, 21(3), 232–249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2017.07.001
- Kim, H. J., Gursoy, D., & Lee, S. B. (2006). The impact of the 2002 World Cup on South Korea: Comparisons of pre- and post-games. Tourism Management, 27(1), 86–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2004.07.010
- Kim, S. S., & Petrick, J. F. (2005). Residents’ perceptions on impacts of the FIFA 2002 World Cup: The case of Seoul as a host city. Tourism Management, 26(1), 25–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2003.09.013
- Ludvigsen, J., Rookwood, J., & Parnell, D. (2022). The sport mega-events of the 2020s: Governance, impacts and controversies. Sport in Society, 25(4), 705–711. https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2022.2026086
- Milačić, D. (2024). Strategy and strategic planning of tourist and sport events. Sport, Media and Business, 10(2), 57–72. https://doi.org/10.58984/smb2402057m
- Moscovici, S. (2000). Social representations: Explorations in social psychology. Polity Press.
- Müller, M. (2015). What makes an event a mega-event? Definitions and sizes. Leisure Studies, 34(6), 627–642. https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2014.993333
- Prayag, G., Hosany, S., Nunkoo, R., & Alders, T. (2013). London residents’ support for the 2012 Olympic Games: The mediating effect of overall attitude. Tourism Management, 36, 629–640. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2012.08.003
- Preuss, H. (2007). The conceptualisation and measurement of mega sport event legacies. Journal of Sport & Tourism, 12(3–4), 207–228. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775080701736957
- Ratković, M. (2023). Corporate goals of sponsorship in sports. Sport, Media and Business, 9(1), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.58984/smb2301027
- Ribeiro, T., Correia, A., & Biscaia, R. (2020). The social impact of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games: Comparison of residents’ pre- and post-event perceptions. Sport, Business and Management, 11(2), 201–221. https://doi.org/10.1108/SBM-02-2020-0014
- Roche, M. (2000). Mega-events and modernity: Olympics and expos in the growth of global culture. Routledge.
- Seemiller, C., & Grace, M. (2019). Generation Z: A century in the making. Routledge.
- Trkulja, M., Ratković, M., & Kos Kavran, A. (2025). The perspective of digital marketing of the sport mega events in the 21st century. Sport, Media and Business, 11(2), 33–46. https://doi.org/10.58984/smb2502033r
- Woosnam, K. M. (2012). Using emotional solidarity to explain residents’ attitudes about tourism and tourism development. Journal of Travel Research, 51(3), 315–327. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287511410351
- Zhou, Y., & Ap, J. (2009). Residents’ perceptions towards the impacts of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Journal of Travel Research, 48(1), 78–91. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287508328792
