Resident perceptions of a contentious tourism event

Contentiously-themed events are a growing but under-researched element of the destination product mix. A survey of 880 adults on Australia's Gold Coast revealed diverse attitudes toward Schoolies Week, an annual high school-leaver celebration characterised by extensive partying and drinking. Most sampled residents are either ‘conditional supporters’ (33%) or ‘conditional opponents’ (34%) whose more complex assessments of costs and benefits, as per social exchange theory, include considerations of ‘non-costs’ and ‘non-benefits’. With regard to social representations, ‘opponents’ (18%) are more likely to be influenced by mass media, social circles and negative personal exposure, whilst ‘supporters’ (15%) are more likely to rely on their own and their children's schoolie experience. Foreign-born residents are less supportive of Schoolies Week, whilst females are disproportionately represented in the two conditional clusters. The results indicate several strategies for improving resident perceptions of this event.