Mega-events and increased collaborative capacity of tourism destinations: The case of the 2011 Rugby World Cup

This paper explores the ability of mega-events to increase the collaborative capacity of organisations within two regional destination marketing networks. More specifically, the research compares the impact of the 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC 2011) on the collaboration of organisations within the Auckland region (intra-regionally) and across New Zealand's regions (inter-regionally). Data were collected from 65 semi-structured interviews with CEOs and senior managers both pre-event and post-event. A formal survey and a review of documentation triangulated these results. The findings demonstrate that the impact of RWC 2011 was more profound in intra-regional collaboration as opposed to inter-regional collaboration. The research identifies the main conditions necessary for increased collaborative capacity in the mega-events and destination marketing context: clear and common goals (and shared vision); a collaborative approach; regular, clear communication; honesty and openness; trust; the integration of all stakeholders; empathy and leadership. Overall, the results suggest that mega-events can increase the collaborative capacities of destination marketing networks and tourism organisations involved.