Health, Wellness and Tourism: healthy tourists, healthy business ...

The Acadians’ quest for pride and affirmation is explicitly included in the WAC organizing
committee’s mission statement. It is therefore not surprising to see such a positive collective
impact in this area. It might have been different if the theme had focused on a smaller portion
of the population. Remember that close to nine out of ten Peninsula residents are Acadian,
therefore directly affected by the congresses’ theme.
Three main roads were closed to automotive traffic to allow participants (5,000 to 8,000
people) to walk and experience a carnival-like atmosphere for at least half a day on each
occasion. Two events attracted over 20,000 people: the tintamarre (major gathering on the
main thoroughfare for the purpose of making noise for an hour so that Acadians can make
known their presence as a nation) and the outdoor concert held immediately following this
explosion of noise. Both of these events were held in Caraquet, the flagship community of the
Acadian culture.
These mass events (with road closures and traffic diversion) were preceded by consultation
sessions between organizers and the local population to discuss changes in traffic patterns,
business hours of certain services and noise related constraints. Many residents actively
participated in these meetings, helping organizers adapt their plans and thus minimize, even
slightly, the negative effects of these events. The meetings also allowed organizers to gather
feedback on how to improve the hospitality aspect of the WAC and the content of its various
events.
Secondly, one of the factors which might explain the « social » success of the congress is the
organizers’ willingness, right from the start, to have the population take ownership of the
event and make it a major celebration first for the community, and then inviting “visitors” to
join. Consequently, one of the organizers’ initial objectives was that each municipality
organize at least one community event during the congress. That is how many community
events came to be designed by local residents.
Hinch and Delamere (1993) suggest that the success of a festival probably depends on the
host community’s control of the event rather than its ownership by the tourism industry. In the
case of the WAC, it appears evident that the positive impacts are a result of this major
involvement, where barely a dozen full time paid staff was hired to organize 400 activities. It
goes without saying that local volunteers played a major role in the entire planning and
management process. Indeed, our observations since the beginning of the WAC organization
process (in 2004) have allowed us to note that organizers made every effort to communicate
with volunteers and the general population on a regular basis. According to Byrd, Bosley and
Dronberger (2009), this aspect of communications is one of the secret ingredients for
promoting the positive impacts of tourism.
Through the local population’s involvement, people perceived the congress as being a
gathering for everyone: youth, seniors, families, etc. Indeed, Huang, Li and Cai (2010)
mention that the success of a festival, even from a tourist’s point of view, depends on the local
community’s support and more precisely on the need for this host community to reflect the
image of a place where family life is valued.
Allen, Long et al. (1988) identified a correlation between the number of years a person lives
in an area and his or her perception of the presence of tourists. Since residents of the Acadian
Peninsula have lived there on average for 45 years, they may have a better understanding of
the importance of an event such as the WAC for their community.