Host Residents\u27 Support of the Summer 1996 Olympic Games

Hallmark or mega-events have been widely hailed as opportunities to enhance the awareness and appeal of tourist destinations. Because hallmark or mega events such as the Olympic games hold the market potential for national and international tourism development, studies of host residents\u27 support of the Olympic games hold special significance. The purpose of this study was to examine Atlanta, residents on their perceptions of the State of Georgia hosting the 1996 Olympic games. Pre and post Olympic comparisons of residents showed strong support for Georgia hosting the Olympic games, limited change is willingness to attend Olympic events, and statistically significant differences for perceived economic benefits, improvement in citizen pride, and to a lesser extent, increased future tourism benefits