Residents’ perceptions of the impacts of a carnival in Cape Town

Abstract

Carnival events have become a significant factor in tourism development initiatives of most destinations. The economic and socio-cultural developments experienced by host communities of tourism attractions and resorts have led to the emergence of carnival events as useful destination products. However, an understanding of residents’ perceptions of event impacts on the area where they reside is necessary in order to gain local support for the event and tourism in general. Effects of carnival events at the personal level are increasingly being explored in tourism research. This is an exciting line of research since carnival events are being increasingly used to implement a wide range of public sector policies aimed at enhancing tourism offerings. The aim of this study is to examine residents’ perceptions of the impact of a carnival in Cape Town in order to establish the overall value of the event. The study explores the perceptions of Green Point suburb residents on the Cape Town Carnival event highlighting the positive and negative aspects of their experience with the event. This study will add to the understudied event in Cape Town and advance academic discourse on carnival events. The findings show that residents are in support of the event being hosted in their area. However recommendations to the identified problems such as limited parking and traffic congestion, drunkbehaviors and littering associated to the event are proposed.