One of the global industries with the quickest growth rates is tourism. Tourists travel the world in quest of leisure, and events serve as the ideal catalysts for tourism since they offer participants both the chance and amusement. Over 7.2 billion tourists, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, traveled worldwide in 2016. This translates to a 4.4% increase in tourists from 2015 to 2016. (UNWTO, 2017).
Events have a significant impact on how many tourists visit a country. The most popular tourist destination in the world, France, has a number of events each year. The Cannes Film Festival is one of these occasions and takes place yearly in the nation. The 12-day festival attracts over 20,000 professionals from the film industry (Festival de Cannes, 2017). The festival packs with next generation film stars, corporate sponsors, talent recruiters, and journalists among others. The Cannes film festival has held a long history since its establishment in the early 1930s. The event has grown to be a huge event propelled by publicity and attendance of high profile celebrities. This has over the year's boosted attendance and improved tourism. In addition to benefits gained from hosting tourist, the locals find the opportunity to display their talent and films to the global scene. According to Claudia-Elena and Puiu (2014), limited research exists on film-induced tourism though of late scholars are gaining interest in the subject. Australia, United Kingdom, and New Zealand are investing considerable resources in investigating the impact of film-induced tourism.
Customarily, event organizers have specific requirements for the hosting country or community to accomplish before qualifying to host a specific event. These requirements as infrastructure, sanitation, and security among others enable destination communities to develop. Despite the significant role that tourism plays, it has its drawbacks. Cultural degradation, social dislocation, and economic dependence are some of the effects (Moscardo, Schurmann, Konovalov & McGehee, 2015). Sustainable tourism aims at creating a symbiotic relationship both to the destination community and to the tourist. The Cannes Film festival offers sustainable tourism. The event is beneficial to the locals and the tourists.
Cannes Film Festival and the destination community well-being
Due to the limited literature, that exists on film-induced tourism, there no statistics on its impact. The literature that exists broadly categorizes mega events like the Olympics or the world cup. Although there is scarce research in the area, Claudia-Elena and Puiu (2014) acknowledge that benefits that events bring are similar. Hosting an event is beneficial to the destination community. Tourists need food, entertainment, housing, and security (Oklobdzija 2015). Catering to these needs provide employment for the destination community hence improves their standard of living. Moreover, hosting events requires substantial amounts of funds. Depending on the type of event, there is need to erect structures as stadiums, hotels, sanitation facilities and infrastructure. The destination community develops in the process. Events have also been one of the major attractors of foreign investments. However, there is a price for destination communities to pay. The destination community should provide their best when hosting an event. This ensures that the community gains a positive rapport facilitating future destination for tourists. Negative rating of the destination community is disastrous as it means the end of tourism in the region (OECD, 2017). Although hosting an event brings development to the destination community, it is also a source of destruction. The terror attack on a community means loss of life, losses to businesses and investment drain. Therefore, the destination community should ensure that they provide ample security for the tourist when hosting an event.
Built Capital
The existence of built capital is essential to hosting of events in destination communities. Built capital determines the number of tourists a destination community will receive and sets the pace for future visits. Built capital refers to man-made structures aimed at supporting human existence. They range from buildings, technology, personal items, and foodstuffs among others (Goldin, 2014). The Cannes film festival began as an initiative of the government to support cinema industry in the France. Ever since its conception, the event has played a key role in transforming the destination community. As of date, the city of Cannes is the most prestigious tourist destination in the world. The residents of the city have benefited from the direct foreign investment with notable lavish brands as Chanel, Gucci, Prada and Hermes among others setting up shops in the area (Wilkinson, 2017). Property in this area has also highly appreciated due to high demand. The constant flow of tourists in the area has played a key role in transforming the way people do business. Businesses in the area have partnered with established brands through franchises which have been essential in creating credibility to tourists. The Cannes film festival does much than appreciating the film industry. The events enable tourist to enjoy the heritage and culture of the people of Cannes.
Human Capital
Human capital is the knowledge and skills that individuals possess that is useful in generating wealth or that has economic value. Claudia Goldin (2014) further defines human capital to include health, education, and training among others, which improve a person's productivity. The Cannes film festival does a lot to improve human capital of the destination community. The festival enables artists to display their talents to the industry (Festival de Cannes, 2017). Here, they gain knowledge, skill and acquire the right attitude to pursue their career path. The events act as a pool where individuals who are at the top of their league engage with amateurs. In addition to those that make films, the Cannes film festival also attracts sponsors, financiers, partners and distributors that are an essential component in making any film a success. Since the event attracts diverse groups of professionals, they are in a position to exchange ideas and come up with better solutions to problems (Dunhum, 2017). The destination community has much to gain from the event. For starters, the local artists can showcase their talents to the world as the festival annually airs in over 90 countries. This provides upcoming artists with exposure and a wider market for their products. Accomplished artists have also the opportunity to mentor younger talent and advise them on the pitfalls to avoid.
Social Capital
Social capital deals with the interaction between people of a society. The process of interacting is a complex one. Therefore, the definition of social capital differs in various disciplines. Liu (2017) views social capital from an economic perspective and fails to put it in the context of its multidisciplinary property. Moscardo, Schurmann, Konovalov, and McGehee (2015) argue that society is made up of networks and social capital refers to how these networks connect. It is important as it enables people of different backgrounds, religions, and beliefs to bond. The Cannes Film festival plays a key role in facilitating social capital. The event brings together a variety of people from various countries and gives them a common ground that is the film festival. The locals get a chance to interact with these professionals and share ideas. This bridges gaps in society and brings about harmony. Oklobdzija (2015) notes that it is easier for people to interact with people who have a smaller background. The festival enables the top 1% of the film industry to interact with upcoming stars.
Cultural Capital
Cultural capital refers to traits, knowledge, attitude, and skills that an individual possesses that enables one to function in a particular society. Cultural capital has value within a society since they are scarce. Cultural capital varies between cultures (Liu, 2017). The society seeks to possess the qualities of cultural capital and having these qualities makes an individual admired and sought after. Cultural capital is an essential aspect of social mobility. Individuals with the right knowledge, behaviors, and skills are able to maneuver society's strata. The Cannes film festival provides an opportunity for locals to acquire cultural capital. The events attract several professionals from diverse cultures. This diversity acts as a learning platform for the people of Cannes. As locals interact with the tourists, there is a sharing of cultural knowledge, learning how to conduct themselves in different cultures, and appreciating cultural diversity (Wilkinson, 2017). The Cannes film festival also provides the locals who wish to get into the film industry with the chance to meet those who run the industry. In addition, the locals are introduced to and learn the culture of the film industry.
Natural Capital
Natural capital refers to resources that make human life possible. These resources are freely available and are useful in the generation of other resources. They exist naturally and include air, water, terrain, and everything that makes up the ecosystem. The Cannes film festival has suffered its share of challenges resulting from natural capital. A notable incident happened in 1951 when the roof of La Croisette was blown off by violent wind during the event. However, this did not affect attendance, but the committee in charge of the event had to shift the event from winter to spring to avoid a recurrence of the same. The city of Cannes has exceptional weather that favors tourism. Every year, the city receives over 2,835.5 hours of sunshine, with highs of 22 degrees centigrade in the summer and lows of 6 degrees centigrade in the winter (Dunhum, 2017). The city also benefits from the beautiful scenery of the coast that stretches over 4 kilometers. The coastal breeze provides a pleasant experience for tourists who tour the beach. The Cannes film festival provides more than a film event. In addition to attending the festival, tourists enjoy breathtaking scenery with ancient building designs that depict the city's history.
Sustainable Tourism
Unlike the past where tourism involved individuals taking trips to the coast without care, this concept is slowly changing. The modern tourist apart from taking trips bears social responsibility to the destination community. Tourism is no longer centered on self-edification; rather, there is a responsibility for the tourist to leave the destination community a little better than he found it (UNWTO, 2017). This ideology is deeply rooted in the philosophies of sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism imposes a responsibility on the traveler to consider the environment and the people of the destination community. The Cannes film festival has a long history. Recently, the event celebrated its 70th anniversary. The main objective of the event is to improve cinema in France. The festival expanded to include new and upcoming films and film stars. The Cannes community has tremendously benefited from the festival. One of the accomplishments of the festival is opening the world to French film. As a result, the French film industry has grown, creating jobs for its citizens. The other advantage of the festival is that the community has transformed into an investment hotspot. Foreign businesses have established themselves in Cannes to attract tourists who flock to the community to enjoy its beaches and scenery (Dunhum, 2017). The film event, which is 12 days long, gives attendees the opportunity to tour Cannes. The process of touring Cannes enables the locals to interact with tourists. Interaction is essential in creating harmony and developing social networks. In addition, the event hosts educational sections where attendants learn emerging issues in the film industry and gain information on techniques of making better movies.
Synthesis and Recommendations
The studies carried out by Claudia-Elena and Puiu (2014) suggest that film-induced tourism offers much to the community that it does take away. The benefits of the Cannes film festival are evident and transparent. The Cannes film festival does more than bringing tourism to the region. France as a country has gained many benefits since the inception of the event. One of the notable benefits is visible by visiting the Cannes community. The inhabitants can now enjoy products and services that were not there before, thanks to direct foreign investments and franchises. The events have propelled the community to the global scenery, thereby increasing tourism. Tourism is important to the occupants of the region as it provides a market for local resident goods and services (Festival de Cannes, 2017). In a way, a majority of the Cannes business depends on the tourists that tour the region. The French government has a lot to consider transforming Cannes to be perfect for both the tourist and the locals. For starters, the government of France should consider establishing a film school in Cannes in order to enhance local talent. The city of Cannes holds the world's reputable film festival annually, and it is unfair for the local residents to lack institutions that provide them with the skills and knowledge to produce world-class films. Lack of sufficient capital is one of the hindrances that new film industry producers face. Films like Titanic spent millions of dollars to make them a success (Claudia-Elena, Puiu, 2014). This shows that funding is an important ingredient for the success of a film. The government needs to develop a strategy to empower local talents, such as sponsoring their films or providing credit facilities to enable upcoming films to acquire the necessary capital to make their film dream a reality. Another challenge that the Cannes community faces is housing. Increased foreign investment in the area has made demand for housing increase considerably, hence increasing its prices (Wilkinson, 2017). It is impossible to find affordable housing in Cannes, as most of the buildings are either hotels or business offices. The government of France needs to develop an affordable housing solution for the local residents.
References
Claudia-Elena, T., & Puiu, N. (2014). How film and television programs can promote tourism and increase the competitiveness of tourist destinations. Retrieved from http://www.cactus-journal-of-tourism.ase.ro/Pdf/vol4/3 Tuclea&Nistoreanu.pdf
Dunhum, N. (2017). What Is the Cannes Film Festival and Why Is It Important?. PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017, from http://people.com/celebrity/what-is-the-cannes-film-festival-and-why-is-it-important/
Festival de Cannes. (2017). Festival de Cannes 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017, from http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/qui-sommes-nous/festival-de-cannes-1
Goldin, C. (2014). Human Capital. Harvard University Press. Retrieved from http://scholar.harvard.edu/files/goldin/files/human_capital_handbook_of_cliometrics_0.pdf
Liu, Y. (2017). Cultural Events and Cultural Tourism Development: Lessons from the European Capitals of Culture. European Planning Studies. http://dx.doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2012.752442
Moscardo, G., Schurmann, A., Konovalov, E., & McGehee, N. (2015). Using Tourism to Build Social Capital in Communities: New Pathways to Sustainable Tourism Futures. Retrieved from https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/28368/
OECD. (2017). Major events as catalysts for tourism. Retrieved 12 August 2017, from http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/a0e8a96f-en
Oklobdzija, S. (2015). The Role of Events in Tourism Development. Retrieved from http://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/2217-2769/2015/2217-27691502083O.pdf
UNWTO (2017). Discussion Paper on Sustainable Tourism for Development. Retrieved from http://cf.cdn.unwto.org/sites/all/files/pdf/iy2017_discussion_paper_executive_summary_en.pdf
Wilkinson, A. (2017). Why the Cannes Film Festival matters (and how to pronounce it). Vox. Retrieved 12 August 2017, from https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/5/16/15508284/cannes-film-festival-how-to-pronounce-high-heels-netflix-jury
