For Sustainable Benefits and Legacies of Mega-Events: A Case Study of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics from the Perspective of the Volunteer Co-Creators

Abstract

This study examined the outcome of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics from multiple perspectives. Tourism and sport researchers have focused on the legacy of mega-events, due to the opportunity they provide to transform a city positively, including through the development of the tourism industry. However, outcomes are not always positive, and the effects differ for every event. The effects of an event can be short-term or long-term. An event, to be truly successful, should aim to have a long-lasting and sustainable positive effect for everyone involved in hosting the event. Additionally, the outcome effects are perceived to be different by each stakeholder of any event. While the roles of volunteers are critical to the success of an event, their perspectives of the event outcomes have been relatively overlooked. Therefore, this study examined the legacy of the 2018 Winter Olympics, as the most recent and unique Olympics (also known as the Peace Olympics), from the perspectives of the volunteers as co-creators. Specifically, volunteers were asked to explain their perceptions of the success of the Olympics. Furthermore, they were asked to identify the legacy of volunteering and the legacy of the Olympics, in order to examine whether volunteers can distinguish the difference between the legacies of volunteering and the Olympics (i.e., event legacy). Using a modified version of content analysis, the results of the volunteer interviews indicated that volunteers identified the legacies of volunteering on a more personal level, emphasizing personal experience, while they identified the legacies of the Olympics on a community and national level.