| Tourist hallmark events can dramatically impact host cities. Positive and negative impacts are varied, ranging from global exposure to resident hostility towards tourists. Previous research on hallmark events and host communities has not examined the impacts of tourist hallmark events on residents' place meanings. Place meaning is valuable to understand, particularly in the context of a tourist-historic city, because meaning connects people with place. Without consideration of meaning, authentic places can be destroyed and inauthentic ones can be produced.; For this study, I selected the Cultural Capital of Europe as the hallmark event, and the city center of Brugge, Belgium as the research site. Research questions examined: How are residents' meanings for their city center impacted by a hallmark event? What meanings do residents give to their city center before and during hallmark events? How do meanings differ depending on resident characteristics? Which qualities of the historic city center promote greatest meaning for residents during the hallmark event?... |
