The origins of event tourism as a topic of serious academic interest are comparatively
recent. The subject is largely a postwar development which began especially to
unfold in the 1970s, not least in response to a growing interest and recognition of
the potential value of events to economies, societies, and their cultures, as well as to
environmental regeneration. In part, the continued evolution of the subject has
arisen from the development of convention and exhibition management as cognate
areas but, through time, policy-makers, planners, and destination managers became
aware of the potentially significant and wide role of events in specific localities,
ranging in scale from the Olympic Games to community festivals.