The Impact of Event Marketing on Cities with Tourism Destination Potential: A Research on City Residents (Etkinlik Pazarlamasının Turizm Destinasyonu Potansiyeli Olan Şehirlere Etkisi: Şehir Sakinleri Üzerine Bir Araştırma)

One way to ensure local development is to turn cities into brand cities. Events are of great importance in cities with high tourism potential becoming brand cities. Cities can become tourism destinations and brand cities with local small events, including music, art, and sports. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of an event on the attitude towards the event and the destination and the intention to revisit and recommend. The Viçe Fest festival held in the Fındıklı district of Rize was used as a stimulus event. The data of the study was collected with a face-to-face survey method among 189 city residents reached by the convenience sampling method. PLS-based structural equation modeling was used in the analysis of the data. According to the findings, the social impact and emotional experience of the festival are effective on the attitude towards the event. The attitude towards the event is effective on the attitude towards the destination. The attitude towards the destination is also effective on revisit intention and destination recommend. The findings of the study can make significant contributions to the parties aiming to become a brand city in the strategies they will develop.