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

The results of the survey indicate that 84% of local residents took part in at least one event
during the congress. This level of involvement is considerable and confirms, in our view, the
local population’s positive perception of the congress. At least one study (Anderek, Valentine
et al., 2005) suggests that those who benefit from tourism activities are favourable to the
existence and hosting of such events. The benefits, in this case, are the social impacts, since
Acadians from the Peninsula seem to confirm that the community benefited from some form
of enjoyment and well-being thanks to the congress. A study by Allen, Hafer et al. (1993)
indicated that local residents were more in favour of recreational activities than tourism
development. Do residents of the Acadian Peninsula see the value of the congress more so as
a recreational activity than a tourism initiative? They probably do, since the involvement
required to organize an activity in their community focused first on the recreational nature of
the activity and then on its tourism aspect. Indeed, economic spin-offs were only listed in 5 th
position among the benefits of the Congress.
It would appear, as suggests Durrett (2008) in his writings on festivals, that the Congress
allowed the Peninsula’s Acadian population to demonstrate its resilience in that it faced its
economic and social challenges by showing, through the WAC, that it stands strong and
proud. There is no doubt in our minds that the benefits of World Acadian Congress will be
sustainable and open the door to other social or economic activities which will promote the
region’s overall development.
It is interesting to note that respondents perceived positive impacts more so for the
community than for themselves. This altruism was also evident with regards to negative
impacts, where respondents gave top billing to the efforts made by their fellow citizens who
were involved as volunteer.
The survey undertaken after the World Acadian Congress provided a better understanding of
the impacts of a major event in a rural setting where activities took place over a large
territory. It would be interesting to examine the social impacts in more detail in a rural setting
where activities would be closer together in time and space. Organizers of the next WAC,
which will be held simultaneously in another region of New Brunswick (Madawaska-
Victoria, or north-western NB), Maine (USA) and Québec (Témiscouata) in 2014, should
repeat this type of survey to determine their social success and try to see if any evolution is
showing up since 2009!
Those organizers would also be well advised to follow the 2009 approach of consulting the
public to establish the community programming as well as communicating with members of
the community throughout the process. The initial idea of organizing activities for residents of
the host community first and foremost, while ensuring that visitors (tourists) still experience
quality and hospitality, probably prompted more people to get involved in the congress in one
way or another.
References
Allen, L., Long, P.T., Perdue, R.R. & Kieselbach, S. (1988). The impact of tourism
development on residents' perceptions of community life. Journal of Travel Research,
27 (1), 16-21.
Allen, L., Hafer, H. R., Long, P.T. & Perdue, R.R. (1993). Rural residents' attitude toward
recreation and tourism development. Journal of Travel Research, 31 (4), 27-33.
Anderek, K., Valentine, K.M., Knopf, R.C. & Vogt, C.A. (2005). Residents' perceptions of
community tourism impacts. Annals of Tourism Research, 32 (4), 1056-1076.