Proposing An Alternative Framework For Feasibility Studies For Large Public Tourism Investments: A Quantitative Analysis Of The

Numerous studies in the hospitality field have focused on the importance of the convention industry to the economic well being of the local tourism industry. Because of intense competition between convention centers, destinations are practicing strategies of expanding their convention facilities and related infrastructure. Unfortunately, many of these expansions appear to have been based on feasibility studies that failed to present rigorous reviews and examinations regarding alleged claims of positive impacts and over-optimistic operational pro-forma statements. The main objective of this study is to propose an alternative framework for feasibility studies, which consists of an updated, rigorous methodology to calculate a more comprehensive picture, on what convention centers can deliver on public and private investment. Data from the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando, Florida were used for assessing this proposed framework