TOURISM EVENTS & LEISURE PERSPECTIVES ON

Takes scholarship on the Eurovision Song Contest beyond the political/international relations angle.

This book explores the Eurovision Song Contest and its significance within tourism, events and leisure studies. The volume considers three main themes: Eurovision tourism and event impacts; event personalities and fandom; and the power and politics of events.

Within these broader themes, the chapters focus on issues such as the relationship between tourism and identity, especially through mechanisms of destination branding and nation-building; the interplay of soft power, cultural diplomacy and critical geopolitics; and the central role of LGBTQI+ tourism, fan cultures and camp aesthetics in shaping the event’s meanings.

The book is an essential guide to Eurovision’s big questions such as its longevity in the face of ongoing conflicts and its vital role in tourism promotion.

Oscar Vorobjovas-Pinta is Senior Lecturer in Tourism and Society in the School of Social Sciences at the University of Tasmania, Australia. He is a leading expert on LGBTQI+ communities in the context of tourism, events, leisure, and hospitality. Favourite Eurovision song: Strazdas by Aistė Smilgevičiūtė (Lithuania, 1999).

Jack Shepherd is Senior Lecturer in Tourism Studies in the Department of Economics, Geography, Law and Tourism at Mid Sweden University, Sweden. The mainstay of his work explores the intersection of tourism and politics, with a particular focus on tourism and peacebuilding. Favourite Eurovision song: Karma by Anxhela Peristeri (Albania, 2021).