Resident Perceptions of Mega-Sporting Events: A Non-Host City Perspective of the 2012 London Olympic Games

TLDR

Longitudinal research on resident perceptions of mega sporting events is scarce, despite the growing importance of a triple‑bottom‑line approach. This study seeks to deepen understanding of the social impact of Olympic tourism by examining resident perceptions of the 2012 London Games in Weymouth and Portland. The authors conducted the first stage of a repeated cross‑sectional longitudinal survey in 2007. Residents generally supported hosting the Games but expressed concerns about traffic congestion, parking, and rising living costs; factor analysis identified five key perception dimensions—positive social impacts, negative impacts, transport issues, positive economic impacts, and price rises—accounting for 60.5 % of variance, with variations linked to socio‑demographic characteristics, informing implications for event managers and future research.

Abstract

Despite the growing importance of a 'triple bottom line' approach to mega sport event research, limited longitudinal research has been carried out to understand and explain resident perceptions of the impact of such events. The aim of this paper is to develop a deeper understanding of the social dimension of Olympic tourism development, by exploring resident perceptions of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games within the two respective communities of Weymouth and Portland in England. This paper reports the first stage of a repeated cross-sectional longitudinal study conducted in 2007. It highlights that generally residents were supportive of hosting the event in the local area but were concerned over perceived traffic congestion, parking issues and potential increases in the cost of living. A factor analysis identified five factors that explained 60.5% of the variance in resident perceptions, with the largest factor comprising 'positive social impacts', followed by 'negative impacts', 'transport issues', 'positive economic impacts' and 'price rises.' Differences were found between these factors and socio-demographic characteristics. Implications for mega event managers and future research are outlined.