When disaster strikes: The importance of relying on events for rural economies

This paper discusses the importance of tourism and event tourism in Cheltenham, England and the problems associated with the recent foot and mouth disaster in the UK for the festival organisers and local community. The cancellation of the 2001 Cheltenham Festival illustrates the importance of the Festival for the local economy and has raised a number of key issues which will need to be addressed in the coming years. In particular, the issue of balancing the social and community needs of the event with marketing and commercial development may need to be addressed in the future. Furthermore, the foot and mouth outbreak has outlined the relationship of the festival organisers with key stakeholder groups. Firstly, it has outlined the short-term gain of some hotel and tourism operators and how this may impact upon the future viability and atmosphere of the event. The foot and mouth outbreak has also led to a re-evaluation of policies surrounding the management of the event. For the event organisers FMD has meant a valuable revision of its relationship with its customers and stakeholders. The disaster has forced recognition that there had been some complacency with regard to the value of customers and a determination not to take them for granted in the future. © Copyright Australian Centre for Event Management, 2002