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1 INTRODUCTION
Tourism in its present form is a relatively new phenomenon, with intensification happening in the last decades, mainly due to the advent of globalization. It thus become one of the world’s major industries (Barbosa, 2013). From the economic perspective, tourism is an important tool for local development, with a positive impact on employment and income generation (Santos & Wanderley, 2009, Barros & Granero, 2010).
Aware of the economic potential of tourism, the three levels of government (municipal, state, and federal) have emphasized the need for investments in this sector, and specific policies are designed to boost this economic activity (Barbosa, 2005). However, for this activity to be an effective contribution to the development of a region, it is necessary to plan bearing in mind the local vocation (Zucco, Quadros, Schmitt & Fiuza, 2017). That is, the segmentation of the tourism market is one of the key tools to identify the tourist attractions of a destination, highlighting its strengths and trying to meet the expectations of the target audience. It can be understood, therefore, that market segmentation consists of identifying different groups of consumers and their needs in order to offer a specific type of tourism to specific groups (Azevedo, Martins, Pizzinato & Farah, 2012).
This specificity, linked to nautical tourism and event tourism, more precisely to nautical sports events, has been presented as an alternative to the development of tourism in the city of Itajaí (SC). The entry into this segment was marked by the 2011-12 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race (VOR), the only stop in South America of the largest yacht race team around the world. VOR put the city of Itajaí on the international nautical events map, having hosting again the 2014-15 edition. In 2017-18 the city hosted another edition of VOR, which began on October 22, 2017 in Alicante, Spain (Volvo Ocean Race, 2016). The event has worldwide relevance, being positioned by the organization as the “F1 of the seas”.
VOR is the second largest sporting event in the world. In the 2014-15 edition it received globally 2,399,865 visitors (Prefeitura Municipal de Itajaí, 2016). Thus, the characteristics of VOR fit the category of mega-events which are, according to Roche (1994, p. 19), "short-term events with long-term consequences for the cities and/or countries that stage them. They are associated with the creation of infrastructure and event facilities”. In addition, VOR is a world-scale event, thus meeting both the definition of mega-event (Jago & Shaw, 1998) and the volume criterion mentioned by Getz (2005), since it attracted over 1 million visitors.
In the 2014-15 Brazilian leg, the Itajaí Stopover, a total of 320,000 people visited the Race Village (Prefeitura Municipal de I-tajaí, 2016), thus it can be considered as a hallmark event. Ritchie (1984) defines this type of event as: "major one-time or recurring events of limited duration, developed primarily to enhance awareness, appeal, and profitability of a tourism destination in the short and/or long term". Hallmark events rely for their success on uniqueness, status, or significance to create interest and attract attention. Therefore, the Itajaí Stopover fits the definition, since its aim is to promote the tourism potential of the municipality of Itajaí, and the state of Santa Catarina, and attract a significant number of visitors, aiming to surpass previous editions.
Lohmann and Netto (2008) and Barbosa (2013) report that one-time or/and recurring events are of utmost importance for tourism development, and are part of the marketing strategy and promotion of destinations. Politize (2015) and Pascoal and Gustavo (2017) state that countries hosting major sporting events get, even if for a short time, great international attention, attracting a greater flow of tourists and become more known.
Regarding nautical tourism, Cardoso (2012) underlines its importance and the fact that the vessel in this segment is not only a means of transport, but also an attraction, adding value to it, making it a cultural heritage, symbolic, natural and a source for new tourism products of the nautical segment.
However, it is known that large events promote economic, political, and cultural exchanges between nations, and the resulting relationships can be peaceful or conflictual (Uvinha, Chan, Man & Marafa, 2018). In this way, sporting events are important, both for participants and regions hosting them, giving visibility and recognition, and contributing to the development of the region, but they also may have negative impacts (Pappas, 2017). However, as Jackson (2008) suggests, little is known about the impacts of events in host cities. Thus, event-based tourism must be planned to avoid negative impacts on the residents (Uvinha et al., 2018).
When these impacts are discussed from the perceiver’s perspective, these can assume both positive and negative differences (Saayman & Slabbert, 2004, Kim & Petrick, 2005). In this approach we must consider both the impacts of tourists and the movement of residents due to events. According to Mathieson and Wall (1982), there are four types of impacts: economic, cultural, social, and environmental.
It is worth noting that Garbacz (2013) and Kirkup and Sutherland (2017) emphasize that cultural and social impacts can be considered together regarding the impacts of event tourism on the city. Similarly, Dall'Agnol (2012) mentions how these impacts can work in a dual way, and it is necessary to analyze the viability in each society.
However, after the effervescence of previous editions, and in the eve of hosting another VOR event, an analysis of the impacts on the local community became necessary. The aim of this study was to analyze the perception of the residents of the city of Itajaí (SC), after the Itajaí Stopover, in relation to the economic, sociocultural, and environmental impacts of VOR. Specifically, we evaluated the impacts of VOR in Itajaí, as perceived by the local community (residents), and then we examined the relationships between the sociodemographic variables and the positive and negative perceptions.
In order to meet these objectives, we conducted a descriptive study, of quantitative nature using survey research. The study population was composed of residents of the host city of Itajaí (SC), aged between 20 and 69, represented by a non-probabilistic sample of 484 respondents
For delimitation purposes, we considered that when analyzing the residents’ opinions on the event, judgments are not unanimous, since the interests may be different, as well as the perceptions about the circumstances surrounding it (Lin, 2013). This difference occurs mainly because when confronted with stimuli, the individuals’ behavior or action is affected by the way they select, organize, and interpret the information received, or the sensations experienced. That is, the difference depends on people’s perception, affected by both physical stimuli, individual conditions, and their relationship with the environment (Solomon, 2016; Kotler & Keller, 2012).
Topics related to the study, such as nautical tourism and nautical sports events, are discussed in the next section, followed by a discussion of the impacts of these activities on residents. Then, we present the methodological design of the empirical study, which precedes the presentation of results and concluding remarks.
2 NAUTICAL TOURISM AND NAUTICAL SPORTS EVENTS
Nautical activity refers to all sailing and boating activities, in standing or running water, be it a river, lake, sea, or ocean. And when these activities are combined with tourism, it can be called nautical tourism (Brasil, 2006).
In this context, nautical tourism can be defined as a set of human relations, resulting from trips lasting less than a year, in which the main motivation is recreational boating in places such as large lakes, rivers, or open sea (Silveira & Zibetti, 2015).
Among the different tourism segments that contribute to the growth of the cities, we can emphasize nautical tourism which is related to leisure water activities in coastal, rivers, or lagoons environments, involving the use of small boats or even large ships (Hedlicka, Magalhães, Gallizia & Guedes, 2005; Brasil, 2010).
In the recent decades, Brazil has remained on the fringes of the shipping routes of thousands of tourists and sailors who sail around the world on their boats, due to stay permits in Brazilian waters and tourist/owner of the vessel visas. This situation began to change as of September 2006 and, consequently, the number of foreign ships sailing in Brazilian waters has been increasing every year (Lima, 2009).
The analysis of the Brazilian nautical tourism segment, made by Loureiro (2004), showed an untapped potential. Netto and Ansarah (2009) and Banuth (2010) make similar points, arguing that nautical tourism is still little explored relative to the size of the country.
Nautical tourism moves millions, economically speaking, and favors other segments, such as ecological tourism, adventure tourism, nature tourism, as well as adding value to architecture, gastronomy, and local culture (Lima, 2009). However, like other segments, nautical tourism requires basic support infrastructure for tourists and their vessels, such as ports, piers, marinas, and boat storage facilities (Reader, 2008, Brasil, 2010).
We can distinguish two main types of nautical tourism: Cruises and Recreational Boating (Brasil, 2010). In Cruise Tourism, the boat stands out as the motivation for travelling and tourists seek to make the most of the on-board experience. Also, it is a segment also capable of generating strong impact in the cities and regions where cruises stop. In Recreational Boating, the main objective of tourists is to participate in nautical sports events. Some of these people schedule their calendar in order to travel to places and participate in national and international events/competitions.
In the light of the above, one can assume that nautical tourism, particularly recreational boating, can be linked to sporting events. These events are important to those who participate but are also very important to the region and institution holding them. Staging prestigious events can bring visibility and recognition, and thus, economic benefits to host regions.
Besides the importance that nautical tourism can have, in its interface it can encompass different types of events, such as business events. National events, if designed and planned to draw media and public, can help changing preconceived ideas, such as that boating is accessible only to a restricted and high purchasing power segment. Context information released to the media and to the public can excite curiosity and broaden the range of people willing to engage with the segment (Brasil, 2010).
Sport is the key product of sporting events, attracting tourists from their regions of origin to experience or watch various sports disciplines, either in locations with a fixed schedule of sports events or in places hosting extraordinary events such as the Olympics, competitions, and tournaments (Beni, 2003).
3 IMPACTS OF SPORTING EVENTS
According to Murphy (1985), tourism is an industry that uses the community as a resource for its development, sells it as a product, and in the process affects the lives of local residents. Thus, Goeldner, Ritchie and McIntosh (2002) report that the tourism activity in local communities and the generation of products and services for visitors, result in changes in the economic, sociocultural, and environmental spheres. Thus, the resulting impacts and their positive and negative consequences, in the localities and regions affected by the activity, constitute research data for the academy.
Santana (1997) states that tourism has a strong effect on the economy of regions and countries, whether on quantitative (income, employment) or qualitative (level of life, well-being) variables. Therefore, the aspects that contribute to the development of tourist destinations and countries should be promoted. Njoroge, Atieno, Nascimento and Vieira (2017), as well as Santana (1997), mention that the impact of tourism on the economies of countries and regions, has been one of the most frequent topics in tourism research.
Moreira and Silva (2007) argue that to meet the residents’ needs it is necessary to understand the main components and concepts of strategic planning for cities, conducting a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis to outline tangible goals to increase in the attractiveness of the city.
The results of Cardona's study (2014) agree with Moreira and Silva (2007), since they underline the importance of investigating the role of residents, not only in the construction of space, but also in their participation as an agent with the right to have their wants addressed by city marketing, or by other city projects and actions.
Among the tourist activities, there are the sporting events, which may be small, medium, or large. These can have important economic effects, especially in terms of investments in infrastructure, creation of direct and indirect jobs, generation of income, attraction of public and private investments. In addition, all mega-events based in the country deserve great attention, as a city becomes known as the host of a certain event (Zuba, 2009; Proni, Faustino & Silva, 2014; Paiva, 2015).
When we study events, words like “legacies” and “impacts” emerge as concepts thoroughly studied. To differentiate them, Tavares (2007) states that legacies are linked to a long-term idea and permanent actions, and if properly planned, can be positive and beneficial also in the future, while impacts are more immediate, short-term effects.
Generally, impacts are more often considered an adverse effect, while the term legacy is more often used when presenting positive effects (Romano, Vico, Silva & Uvinha, 2015). However, depending on the aspect under analysis, legacies can be considered positive, negative, or both (Owen, 2005).
The analysis of Pace, Hardt and Figueiredo (2015) suggest that the great legacy of mega-sport events may not be linked to the results of the games themselves, but to other benefits to the population. In these cases, major events may lead to improvements in the quality of life of the population, due to infrastructure improvements in the most diverse areas, such as transportation, security, housing, education, among others. Its effects, including for tourism, can turn into a benefit that extends beyond the duration of the event. In this line of reasoning, authors such as Santos (2000), Rodrigues, Dacosta, Pinto and Terra (2008) and Reis (2008) emphasize that mega-events are great catalysts and facilitators of investments, and not an end in themselves.
Job creation, and thus the increase in consumption in the host country’s economy, is another positive and much discussed impact of sport mega-events. The increase in tourism because of major events leads to the generation of direct and indirect jobs in hotels, restaurants, and other areas directly linked to the reception of travelers (Souza, Miranda, Moreira, &Tabak, 2015).
Although little is known about the impact of events in host communities, participation in mega-events is considered to have many positive and negative impacts (Jackson, 2008), but according to Twynham and Johnson (2004) and Garbacz (2013), people’s perceptions of impacts may appear before, during and after the event.
Residents of the host city are among the key stakeholders of the event. The success of a major event is not possible without the residents being heard, however, it is necessary to assess multiple opinions. People may have distinct views about the event according to the circumstances that are influencing their perception at the time. There are multiple voices within the local community that have different opinions and interests; in addition, specific demographic groups within the same community may have dissimilar opinions if they have different attitudes toward the same subject (Lin, 2013).
In the same vein, an increasing number of studies have been carried out on the residents’ perception of major sporting events. Most have used cross-sectional research methods, but the residents' perceptions were not followed-up for a significant period (Kim, Gursoy & Lee, 2006). In this way, the attitudes and support of the residents that could vary over time, as well as the reasons for this variation, could contribute to new policies in addition to provide event organizers with insights on the perceptions of the host cities residents.
Muller (2012), in his study of residents of Sochi, home to the 2014 Winter Olympics, found that the positive impacts are those that most contribute and strengthen the popular support, as opposed to the negative impacts that are likely to produce dissatisfaction, resulting in forms of opposition. Similarly, Gursoy and Kendall’s (2006) study on the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City (USA) verified that popular support depends more on benefits than on perceived costs.
Therefore, even if an event is costly, public authorities should focus on creating long-term benefits for residents' lives. In turn, perceptions of the sociocultural impacts of mega-events, such as the FIFA World Cup, will differ from one host community to another, as well as their sociodemographic profiles (Watt, 2004).
4 METHODOLOGY
Regarding the objectives, the present work is characterized as a descriptive research, with a quantitative approach, since we intended to analyze the perception of the residents of the city of Itajaí (SC), after the Itajaí Stopover, about the economic, sociocultural, and environmental impacts generated by VOR.
Descriptive research uses survey method to collect data aiming to describe phenomena or to relate variables, making it possible to synthesize the information collected in a clear and concise manner and highlighting the main aspects without distortions (Santos, 1999; Barbosa & Milone, 2006; Barrow, 2008).
In this study, we sought to describe the sociodemographic characteristics of the population, as well as the opinions regarding the variables used to measure residents' perception of impacts. This meets the quantitative nature of the data, which tends to emphasize inductive reasoning, the rules of logic, and the measurable attributes of human experience.
The survey method gathers data from target groups to obtain specific information. This is a useful procedure, especially in exploratory and descriptive research (Santos, 1999). On the other hand, Jansen, Corley and Jansen, (2007) characterize the online survey, e-survey or Eletronic Survey, as a means of obtaining data using self-administered questionnaires in which the target audience answer it online. They are usually created as a web form with a database to store data and statistical software to assist in the analysis.
The need for increasingly faster, more valuable information requires the development of new methods of data collection and analysis over the Internet, so that traditional techniques combined with new tools can provide dynamism, efficiency, and reliability. Thus, to select an adequate study sample, we combined the personal contacts and the internet.
The present study focused on the residents of the host city of Itajaí (SC), specifically individuals aged between 20 and 69 years, to assess the impacts of VOR. The selected age range allowed to define age groups according to the criteria of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and it ensured that participants were 18 years of age or older.
Participants were selected through non-probability convenience sampling. Creswell (2010) considers that non-probability survey is when certain elements of the population are chosen based on the judgment of the researcher or the interviewer in the field. The final sample consisted of 484 valid cases, with the participation of 226 men (46.7%) and 258 women (53.3%).
For the present study, the districts of the municipality of Itajaí were grouped according to the proximity to the district where the VOR Race Village in Itajaí was located. The creation of the five regions (R) considered the following regions: R1 (Centro) is where the event occurs; R2 (São João, Vila Operária, São João and Fazenda) comprising districts bordering the Centro district; R3 (Don Bosco, Ressacada, São Vicente, São Judas, Cabeçudas, and Barra do Rio), composed of districts bordering R2; R4 (Cordeiros, Praia Brava, and Cidade Nova); and, R5 (more distant districts: Murta, Itaipava, Brilhante, Km 12, Espinheiros, Arraial dos Cunhas, São Roque, Baia, Salseiros, Rio do Meio, Paciência, Limoeiro, and Campeche). The aim was to assess whether proximity can be a factor influencing results.
Data collection was carried out in August 2017 through a structured questionnaire, containing questions directly and indirectly associated with the dimensions (economic, sociocultural, environmental) analyzed in this study. The variables were based on Garbacz’s (2013) study on the perception of Warsaw (Poland) residents toward UEFA EURO 2012.
The survey link (questionnaire) was distributed via Facebook with a sponsored page directed to Itajaí residents, Whatsapp mailing lists, and email.
The data from the questionnaires were entered in database format and analyzed using the statistical program SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Science), version 22. Subsequently, the variables were correlated and treated to further understand the perception of Itajaí residents toward tourism and the event, object of this study.
We also performed an analysis of variance (ANOVA), a statistical technique used to test differences between two or more group means (Barbosa & Milone, 2006). The analysis of variance compares means of different groups to verify if they have equal means, allowing several groups to be compared at the same time.
5 RESULTS
In this section the results obtained from field research are presented and discussed. First, we present the sociodemographic characteristics of the sample and then the perception of the residents of the municipality of Itajaí on the dimensions of VOR impacts, the correlation of the profile of the residents, and the perceptions of the dimensions investigated.
5.1 Sample demographics and engagement with Itajaí stopover
Regarding gender, most participants are female (53.3%), while 46.7% are males. This was not unexpected, since, according to IBGE (2017) census data, women outnumber men in the municipality. The sample characteristics are shown in Table 1 of the sample.
Table 1 Sample sociodemographic characteristics (n = 484)
| Gender | Frequency | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Female | 258 | 53.3% |
| Male | 226 | 46.7% |
| Total | 484 | 100% |
| Age | Frequency | Percentage |
| 20-29 | 123 | 25.4% |
| 30-39 | 169 | 34.9% |
| 30-49 | 92 | 19.0% |
| 50-59 | 66 | 13.6% |
| 60-69 | 34 | 7.0% |
| Total | 484 | 100% |
| Education level | Frequency | Percentage |
| Incomplete Primary | 10 | 2.1% |
| Primary | 19 | 3.9% |
| Secondary | 144 | 28.9% |
| Tertiary | 153 | 31.6% |
| Post-tertiary | 158 | 32.6% |
| Total | 484 | 100% |
| Family income | Frequency | Percentage |
| ≤ 3 minimum wages | 100 | 20.7% |
| 3-5 minimum wages | 134 | 27.7% |
| 5-8 minimum wages | 128 | 26.4% |
| >8 minimum wages | 117 | 24.2% |
| NA | 5 | 1.0% |
| Total | 484 | 100% |
Source: Research data 2017
The 484 respondents were representative in the different age groups, but the majority was between 30 to 39 years (34.9%) and 20 to 29 years (25.4%). Only 6% of the sample had primary level education (complete or incomplete). Other 28.9% completed high school (secondary level education) and 64.2% have at least an undergraduate degree (tertiary level). The sample was also a well-distributed in terms of family income, with a slight highlight for the income bands of 3-5 (27.7%) and 5-8 (26.4%) minimum wages.
Regarding knowledge and participation in the event, it was observed that the population has a wide knowledge of it (96.5%), and 65.5% of the sample attended at least one in-port series. It should be noted that 66.5% expressed an interest attending new editions of VOR.
5.2 Assessment of Itajaí residents’ perception of the impacts of VOR
In this section, we discuss the results regarding the perception of the residents of the municipality of Itajaí in relation to the post-event impacts in the economic, socio-cultural, and environmental dimensions generated by VOR.
Regarding the economic impacts, several studies indicate a positive impact of mega-events on host cities. However, according to Oliveira and Salazar (2011), the literature raises some issues about research on the subject. Many studies are commissioned or carried out by persons or institutions that have a direct connection or involvement with the organization, endorsement, or accomplishment of sport mega events, such as the international sports institutions (FIFA, IOC) or various governmental organizations.
Likewise, Proni, Faustino and Silva (2014) point to a controversial situation observed in relation to the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cup, held in Germany and South Africa, respectively, when the subject is the economic legacy for the host cities. According to the authors, the expected benefits in the economies of host countries were not fully achieved, when compared to the values obtained in surveys after the World Cups. In this line, Barros (2016) reports that Brazilian World Cup stadiums are hardly financially self-sustainable in the post-event.
However, this situation seems different when considering the perception of the residents of the municipality of Itajaí (SC) toward VOR. Table 2 shows the analyzed variables corresponding to perceived VOR economic impacts on the municipality of Itajaí (SC). According to the results obtained by the present research, the respondents agreed that VOR attracted more investment into the city (mean of 3.99).
Table 2 Economic, sociocultural, and environmental variables of VOR impacts on the municipality of Itajaí (SC)
| ECONOMIC DIMENSION | Mean (ẋ) | S.D. (S) |
|---|---|---|
| Q11 - Does the event bring more investment into the city? | 3.99 | 0.87 |
| Q12 - Does it generate more employment opportunities? | 3.76 | 0.95 |
| Q13 - Does it promote local businesses? | 4.05 | 0.83 |
| Q14 - Does it promote the city as a tourist destination? | 4.32 | 0.79 |
| Q15 - Does it cause prices of products and services to rise? | 3.12 | 0.96 |
| Q16 - Does it promote the development of the city's infrastructure and other services that can be used after the event by residents? | 3.55 | 1.03 |
| Q36 - Does it directly improve my family income? | 2.35 | 1.04 |
| SOCIOCULTURAL DIMENSION | Mean (ẋ) | S.D. (S) |
| Q17 - Does it improve public infrastructure (accesses and roads of the city of Itajaí)? | 3.11 | 1.08 |
| Q18 - Does it increase leisure and recreation? | 3.73 | 0.91 |
| Q19 - Is the city of Itajaí overcrowded during the event? | 3.01 | 0.96 |
| Q20 - Does it increase social tension (appearance or increase of disadvantaged groups)? | 2.53 | 0.84 |
| Q21 - Does it put local population at risk of accidents? | 2.14 | 0.74 |
| Q22 - Does it disturb the peace and quiet of Itajaí residents? | 1.95 | 0.70 |
| Q23 - Does the city become dangerous during the event? | 2.01 | 0.73 |
| Q24 - Does it increase urban traffic and congestion? | 2.93 | 0.98 |
| Q25 - Does the city get national and international exposure? | 4.32 | 0.69 |
| Q26 - Does it cause loss of identity and local culture? | 2.02 | 0.84 |
| Q27 - Does it destroy the historical/cultural heritage? | 1.90 | 0.72 |
| Q31 - Is the city more joyful and united? | 3.85 | 0.94 |
| Q32 - Does it make the city's residents pride? | 4.16 | 0.84 |
| Q33 - Do the positive impacts of the event outweigh the negative impacts? | 3.90 | 0.92 |
| Q34 - Should the city host other events? | 4.33 | 0.74 |
| Q35 - Is the flow of tourists good for the city? | 4.35 | 0.71 |
| ENVIRONMENTAL DIMENSION | Mean (ẋ) | S.D. (S) |
| Q24 - Does it increase urban traffic and congestion? | 2.93 | 0.98 |
| Q28 - Does it raise environmental awareness of local community? | 3.47 | 0.97 |
| Q29 - Does it increase environmental pollution (noise, soil, water)? | 2.40 | 0.79 |
Source: Research data 2017
In general, it is possible to observe that respondents’ level of agreement surpassed the level of disagreement, except for question Q36, which refers to the improvement of family income due to VOR. In this variable of the economic dimension, a higher level of disagreement was identified, reaching the lowest mean of all, with 2.35 points and standard deviation of 1.04. A similar result was obtained by Q15 that asked if the event caused prices of products and services to rise, with a small advantage to agreement with a mean of 3.12 points, the second lowest in the economic dimension. The difference is that this is a negative variable and the previous was positive.
Variable Q14, which addresses VOR effect in the promotion of the city as a tourist destination, as well as variable Q13, related to the promotion of local businesses were those that obtained the best evaluations in this dimension, with averages of 4.32 and 4.05 points respectively, and standard deviations of 0.79 and 0.83, the smallest in this dimension.
Question Q36 (Does it directly improve my family income?) reached a higher value among people who disagreed that the event improves family income. The explanation of this fact may be related to the level of involvement of respondents with the event, since 21.7% of interviewees were not involved with the event while 68.8% visited/participated in the event.
In this way, it can be observed that, in the perception of the residents of the municipality of Itajaí (SC), VOR has more positive impacts on the economic dimension, especially on broader levels, that is, on the city. However, when the impact relates with more individual variables, this more positive perception is not verified.
Studies such as those by Diaz and Gutiérrez (2010) and Cardona (2014), report that the perception of people in relation to the social impacts caused by tourism events, tends to be considered negative when compared to the economic impacts, the same occurs for sociocultural and environmental impacts. However, in the municipality of Itajaí (SC) the most VOR impacts were considered positive (Table 2).
Thus, it was possible to observe a high number of respondents that agree/completely agree that the city of Itajaí (SC) get more national and international exposure with VOR, with a mean value of 4.32 and a standard deviation of 0.69, as well as, even if to a lesser extent, there was an increase in recreation and leisure. This improvement was confirmed by a mean of 3.37 and a standard deviation of 0.91
According to Llopis-Goig (2012) there is a great diversity of terms and meanings regarding the impacts that are usually associated with the social dimension of mega-sport events. These impacts generally refer to a sense of pride, reinforcement of collective identity, improvement of the quality of life, increased social interaction and sports practice, prestige, and international recognition. The author adds that the negative points, on the other hand, are also related to social aspects, such as: increased insecurity, changes in the local way of life, traffic intensification, human rights violations, exacerbation of nationalism and xenophobia, and environmental impacts.
Thus, a tourist event can also negatively impact society. However, when questioned if the positive impacts of the event outweigh the negative impacts (Q33) on society the respondents agreed, with a mean value of 3.90 and a standard deviation of 0.92. In line with Santana (1997), the sociocultural impacts result, therefore, from the social relations that are established between residents and visitors. The intensity and shape of these impacts vary depending on the type of visitor, the cultural differences between the groups, the degree of adaptation of visitors, and local customs.
Llopis-Goig (2012) points out that the negative aspects arising from mega-events affecting the sociocultural dimension are: increased insecurity, changes in the local way of life, traffic intensification, human rights violations, exacerbation of nationalism and xenophobia, and environmental impacts. In this case, only the questions Q19 and Q24 presented a balance between opinions, with a mean of 3.01 and a standard deviation of 0.96 for Q19 and a mean of 2.89 and a standard deviation of 0.98 for Q24, showing that there is a divergence of results when compared to that reported by Llopis-Goig (2012).
A similar situation was found in the case of the Q23. The results obtained in the present study indicate that the city of Itajaí was not considered more dangerous during VOR, since the residents interviewed do not agree with this statement, with a mean of 2.01 and a standard deviation of 0.73. It is worth noting that when it comes to mega-events, there is a greater concern on the part of government leaders regarding the security of citizens. But since the study was not carried out during the event, this fact cannot be considered, which may mean that the event does not actually increase the crime rate.
In the same vein, Silveira (2016) studied the perception of impacts of tourist events using a method similar to the one used in the present research. The results obtained by the author revealed that the residents of Balneário Camboriú (SC) perceived tourist events as causing the loss of identity and local culture, since the respondents tended to agree with the statement. This result differed from the result in our study. According to residents of the municipality of Itajaí (SC), VOR does not cause a loss of local identity and culture, since they tend to disagree with Q26, with a mean of 2.02. Such an approach, despite the differences between both cities, points to the subjectivity of every person’s experience, corroborating the idea that what is positive for one may not be for another.
In this context, Silvestre (2009) and Chain and Swart (2010) consider that impacts are intrinsic to the events and those arising from increased self-esteem and civic pride of the local population should be highlighted, because they may contribute to strengthening social cohesion and national identity.
Contrary to the idea that mega-events contribute to the loss of cultural identity, according to Wacker and Wacker (2008), some authors argue that sporting events’ legacies, if properly contextualized, may add to the cultural memory. Examples of this are the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany.
Event-based tourism has also considerable impacts on the environment (Besen & Moretto-neto, 2005). Tourism activities affect both positively and negatively the natural, built, or sociocultural environment. However, the natural environment is more vulnerable to the negative impacts of tourism (Fandé & Pereira, 2014).
According to authors such as Barczak and Duarte (2012), the variable 24 in the sociocultural dimension also has an environmental impact, since vehicles stuck in traffic jams emit more pollutant gases into the atmosphere than when moving, namely CO2. However, the perception of the surveyed residents is indifferent regarding the increase of urban traffic provoked by VOR, since the mean value was 2.93, with a standard deviation of 0.98.
Respondents considered that the VOR event contributes to the environmental awareness of the local community, but at a level slightly above an indifferent situation (ẋ = 3.47/S = 0.97). Conversely, residents disagree (ẋ = 2.40/ S = 0.79) with the statement that VOR contributes to environmental pollution (Q29). It should be noted, despite the origin of the certification, that the municipality of Itajaí received the award for the best sustainability program "Volvo Certificate of Environmental Awareness 2011/2012", in recognition of the sustainability projects developed at the Itajaí Stopover, April 4-22 (Prefeitura Municipal de Itajaí, 2016). This shows the municipality have planned and prepared adequately to receive the sporting event, especially when compared to other host cities in different countries.
As for the tourism activity, different results were found by Silveira (2016) and Fandé and Pereira (2014), who observed that the residents perceive negative impacts with respect to environmental degradation.
5.3 Correlation between the sociodemographic characteristics and the perceptions of the study dimensions
In this section we present the results of the correlation between the sociodemographic characteristics and the economic, sociocultural, and environmental dimensions. This correlation was based on analysis of variance (ANOVA), aiming to identify significantly different perceptions regarding VOR, when the results were verified according to age, gender, family income, education, and region of residence. The results are presented only for the variables that presented level of statistical significance <0.05. Traditionally, the cutoff value to reject the null hypothesis is 0.05, which means that when there is no difference, such an extreme value for the test statistic would be expected in less than 5% of the cases (Ferreira & Patino, 2015).
The ANOVA test was initially applied to the means of age groups (Table 3). The variable Q15 (Does it cause prices of products and services to rise?) was significant among the lowest means, with 0.000001. People between 20 and 29 years presented a less positive perspective than the other age groups (ẋ = 3.37), with a higher level of agreement that VOR caused prices of products and services to rise. Still in relation to the economic dimension, there is significance difference (0.016) in the residents' perception regarding Q36 (Does it directly improve my family income?). In this variable, even with means lower than 3 (neutral), it stands out that people aged between 60 and 69 have a less negative attitude than other age groups.
Table 3 Relationship between dimensions and age groups
| DIMENSION | Variable | 20-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50-59 | 60-69 | Sig |
| ECONOMIC | Q15 | 3.37 | 3.16 | 3.00 | 2.97 | 2.62 | 0.000 |
| Q36 | 2.12 | 2.41 | 2.45 | 2.30 | 2.74 | 0.016 | |
| SOCIOCULTURAL | Q21 | 2.27 | 2.20 | 1.93 | 2.11 | 2.00 | 0.010 |
| Q24 | 3.14 | 2.93 | 2.76 | 2.86 | 2.74 | 0.041 | |
| ENVIRONMENTAL | Q29 | 2.58 | 2.49 | 2.27 | 2.21 | 2.00 | 0.001 |
Source: Research data 2017
In the sociocultural dimension, the variable Q24 (Does it increase urban traffic and congestion?) presented a difference between means with significance of 0.041 in relation to the age groups. The results show that people with ages between 20 and 29 years present a perception with a higher level of agreement (ẋ = 3.14) than the other age groups studied.
This variable (Q24) also belongs to the environmental dimension, which together with variable Q29 (It increases environmental pollution - noise, soil, water) demonstrates a trend toward greater sensitivity of this age group to environmental issues and possible impact of VOR in this sense. However, in the latter variable, despite the significance of 0.001, the mean of 2.58 points assumes a position between disagreement and neutrality.
The application of the ANOVA test for the dimensions and the gender variable made it possible to identify significance difference in the perception of men and women only in the sociocultural dimension, i.e., for all other variables and dimensions both genders perceive the same impacts generated by VOR (Table 4). In this dimension, in general, female respondents present a slightly lower level of disagreement than male respondents. As these variables are represented by negative aspects, the results suggest that female respondents are more critical of the surveyed aspects.
Table 4 Relationship between dimensions and gender
| DIMENSION | Variable | Female | Male | Sig |
| SOCIOCULTURAL DIMENSION | Q22 | 2.02 | 1.87 | 0.014 |
| Q23 | 2.08 | 1.93 | 0.026 | |
| Q26 | 2.13 | 1.89 | 0.002 | |
| Q27 | 1.96 | 1.83 | 0.042 |
Source: Research data 2017
Although in the scale the value 2 (two) represents disagreement regarding Q27 (Does VOR destroy the historical/cultural heritage?) the mean among female respondents (1.96) is higher than that achieved by male respondents, with statistical difference of significance 0.042. Regarding Q22, statistical significance was found between means, with a value of 0.0014. Thus, men disagree more than women, when questioned if the event disturbs the peace of the inhabitants of Itajaí, presenting a mean of 1.87. These situations are also similar in variables Q23 (Does the city become dangerous during the event?) and Q26 (Does it cause loss of identity and local culture?), with statistical significance of 0.026 and 0.002, respectively. The means among women were 2.08 and 2.13, while among men were 1.93 and 1.89.
ANOVA test for the correlation between the dimensions and the family income (Table 5), showed that for the economic dimension, there was a significance of 0.025 for family incomes, evidencing a greater predominance of people with family income between 3 to 5 minimum wages (mean of 3.26) with greater agreement with variable Q15 (Does it cause prices of products and services to rise?).
Table 5 Relationship between dimensions and family income
| DIMENSION | Variable | <3 min. wages | 3-5 min. wages | 5-8 min. wages | >8 min. wages | Sig |
| ECONOMIC DIMENSION | Q15 | 3.23 | 3.26 | 3.05 | 2.93 | 0.025 |
| SOCIOCULTURAL DIMENSION | Q30 | 4.01 | 4.19 | 4.22 | 4.32 | 0.029 |
| Q33 | 3.68 | 3.81 | 3.91 | 4.21 | 0.000 | |
| Q34 | 4.19 | 4.34 | 4.30 | 4.50 | 0.020 | |
| Q20 | 2.76 | 2.52 | 2.50 | 2.35 | 0.005 | |
| Q21 | 2.33 | 2.16 | 2.12 | 1.97 | 0.004 | |
| Q23 | 2.20 | 2.00 | 1.95 | 1.91 | 0.021 | |
| ENVIRONMENTAL DIMENSION | Q29 | 2.62 | 2.54 | 2.29 | 2.15 | 0.000 |
Source: Research data 2017
In the social dimension, the variable Q34 (Should the city host other events?) has the higher mean value with a significance of 0.020 and mean of 4.50 for people with salaries above 8 (eight) minimum wages. The variable Q29 (Does it increase environmental pollution?) with significance of 0.00001, with a lower level of disagreement among those with up to 3 minimum wages. However, it is worth noting that in general, the means are low, close to 2 (two).
The ANOVA test for the relationship between the sociocultural dimension and the level of education resulted in statistical differences with a significance of 0.014 for the variable Q19 (Is the city of Itajaí overcrowded during the event?), and a higher mean (3.80) for people with incomplete primary level. It is worth mentioning that in the analyzed sample, only 10 people have incomplete primary education level (Table 6). A similar situation was observed for variable Q20 (Does it increase social tension?), with significance of 0.022 among the means, and the highest mean was also for people with incomplete primary education level.
Table 6 Relationship between dimensions and level of education
| DIMENSION | Variable | Incomplete primary | Primary | Secondary | Tertiary | Post-Tertiary | Sig |
| SOCIOCULTURAL DIMENSION | Q19 | 3.80 | 3.42 | 3.04 | 2.98 | 2.91 | 0.014 |
| Q20 | 3.30 | 2.63 | 2.59 | 2.45 | 2.48 | 0.022 |
Source: Research data 2017
We conducted an analysis to test the differences between the perception of VOR impacts according to the district of residence of respondents. In this way, the districts of the city were classified into 5 regions. R1 is the region closest to the event, referring exactly to the place where the Race Village is located and the R5 is the furthest. Table 7 shows the number and percentage of people interviewed according to the regions of residence, in which it is possible to perceive that regions R3, R5 and R2 were the ones with the highest percentages, with 27.7%, 27.5%, and 21.7%, respectively.
Table 7 Number and percentage of participants by region.
| Region of residence | Number | % |
| R1 | 68 | 14.0% |
| R2 | 105 | 21.7% |
| R3 | 134 | 27.7% |
| R4 | 44 | 9.1% |
| R5 | 133 | 27.5% |
| Total | 484 | 100.0% |
Source: Research data 2017
The analysis of variance (ANOVA) did not showed differences of statistical significance <0.05. The result indicates that, regardless of the proximity of residence to the main VOR activities location, the perception of impacts, whether positive, neutral, or negative, does not differ.
6 CONCLUDING REMARKS
The Volvo Ocean Race has been consolidating in the calendar of events in Itajaí and region, due in large part to the various investments in its development, and that, according to the results presented by the Organization, Itajaí City Hall, and the local press, are justified by the importance that the event has assumed.
In general, until the completion of this study, the news reported that the event was beneficial for the development of the city of Itajaí. However, it was still not possible to assess the residents’ perception toward the event, the main affected by it.
Most economic impacts are routinely positive, especially regarding the tourism industry, commerce, and the legacy for the city's infrastructure. However, in general, residents are not benefited by an increase in family income. In this way, it can be concluded that the improvements in the economic dimension, even if not immediate, are positive for the host municipality.
The analysis of the sociocultural dimension is of paramount importance to understand how residents are directly and indirectly impacted by the governmental and private actions related to holding the VOR event. And in this case, it was possible to perceive that the positive impacts outweigh the negative ones, mainly in the social and economic dimensions. This is evident regarding residents’ perception of city security, since they consider that the event does not make the city more dangerous and does not disturb peace.
Based on the analysis of the environmental dimension, it was possible to perceive that VOR creates moderate environmental awareness in the residents, since one of the aims of the event is the enhancement of the natural environment, and this indirectly is passed on to the residents directly involved or not in the event. However, there is a high number of residents with neutral opinions regarding the environmental issue.
The ANOVA test also showed that Itajaí female residents presented a more positive perception of the sociocultural dimension than men. At the same time, people aged between 60 and 69 presented a more positive attitude than the other age groups regarding the economic impacts.
Concerning the educational level, it was possible to observe that the residents with incomplete primary education had a less negative perception of the sociocultural dimension (increase of tension in the population and overcrowding of the city during the event).
Overall, this study revealed that most residents have a positive perception of VOR, believing that the event and all that it entails bring benefits to the city and, consequently, to the population in general.
Considering that the results presented in this study have been based on the perceptions of the residents of the study area, further research to evaluate the cost-benefit ratio of VOR in Itajaí (SC) is necessary to complement this panorama about its viability, since resources are being applied to offer the best conditions for holding the event.
The non-probabilistic nature of the sample used in this investigation should be considered as a limitation of the study, since the results are restricted to the participants' perceptions and cannot be considered as representative of the study population.
Future studies may be conducted in other editions, allowing longitudinal comparisons on the perception of the impacts generated by the event. In these editions, approaches analyzing pre-event expectations, as well as residents' perceptions during the event, may also contribute to assess if the moment when the survey is conducted affects the outcomes. In addition, also within the scope of local stakeholders, it is suggested the application of the research with other audiences, for example the entrepreneurs, involved or not in local tourism ventures.
