Events and territorial attractiveness: the "Etna Comics" experience

The paper deals with the topic of tourism competitiveness of destinations; it specifically explores the role of cultural events in enhancing the attractiveness of tourist offer, by stimulating synergies between different local actors (Getz, 2005). The research examines the case of “Etna Comics - International Cartoon and Pop Culture Festival”, which is held annually in Catania (Italy) since 2011. An empirical survey was conducted during the 2016 edition, by submitting a questionnaire to a sample of visitors selected using non-probabilistic sampling techniques. The questionnaire included three sections and aimed at exploring: the socio-demographic profile of the respondents, their judgment on the Etna Comics event, their perception of Catania tourist attraction. Despite the issue of cultural events has been widely examined in the literature, especially as regards the types of events and the impacts generated (Kim et al., 2014; Pasanen et al., 2009; Ritchie, 1984), still little explored are the role of relationships among local actors in event's success and the role of events on tourist attraction of the area. Focusing on these aspects, the results of the paper highlight that Etna Comics is the main reason that prompted respondents to reach Catania, and that it represents a great opportunity to stimulate further stays.