Events, Tourism and Society

Events have become a defining feature of contemporary societies. Religious pilgrimages, cultural festivals, sport mega-events, political commemorations, heritage celebrations, international exhibitions, and community gatherings are no longer occasional occurrences. They are dense social moments through which collective identities are shaped, meanings are negotiated, places are transformed, and everyday life is reconfigured.

This session invites theoretical, methodological, and empirical contributions that examine diverse events from a sociological perspective, with particular attention to the relationships between events, tourism, and society. It explores how events influence mobility, belonging, place-making, social cohesion, economic development, sustainability, public diplomacy, globalization, and the reorganization of everyday life.

Papers may address a broad range of cases, including cultural festivals, religious gatherings and pilgrimages, sport competitions, political commemorations, heritage celebrations, international exhibitions, and community-based initiatives. Comparative approaches that engage both local and transnational dimensions are especially welcome.

By bringing together scholars working across different types of events and contexts, this session aims to foster dialogue on how a sociological perspective can deepen understanding of a world in which events increasingly shape collective experience and reveal broader processes of social transformation.

Keywords: Sociology of Events; eventfulness; tourism; social change; place-making