The Impact of Cultural Events on Tourism Development: Sibiu - The European Cultural Capital

This study reviews the findings of longitudinal field research in Sibiu on the cultural profile of tourists during and after the European Cultural Capital Programme (ECOC) and the effects of the event on local tourism. The impact of the event can be gauged through the growth of tourism stimulated by infrastructure improvements and product development, not only in terms of increasing tourist numbers but also by the increase of local income from tourism and related sectors. The ECOC has turned into a model followed by many European cities seeking tourism growth and image change. The ten years of research conducted in Sibiu have highlighted the variety of long term effects that can result from such a complex development model, including tourism growth, changes in tourist profile, image improvement and increased social cohesion.