Fun in the family: Tourism and the Commonwealth Games

This paper uses the context of the Commonwealth in order to focus on a specific dimension of tourism that is located within it, that of the mega all-Commonwealth event, the Commonwealth Games, and its impact in tourism terms. Sports events and tourism are closely linked and it is abundantly clear that the tourism potential of mega sporting events such as the Commonwealth Games is a major factor in encouraging cities to bid to host such events. Such tourism potential relates to the immediate attraction of the event to athletes and officials associated with the event, volunteers and other paid employees who work at the event and, in particular, international and domestic visitors as games spectators and participants. This paper sets the Commonwealth Games in the wider context of sports tourism and will address their impact through consideration of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia.