The role of iconic-historic commemorative events in event tourism: Insights from the 20th and 25th anniversaries of the fall of the Berlin Wall

The role of commemorative events for event tourism has received marginal attention. Existing research primarily considers commemorative events for their social and political significance within the nation. This paper argues that commemorative events defined as 'iconic-historic' can play an important role for event tourism. Using the 20th and 25th anniversaries of the fall of the Berlin Wall as archetypical examples, this in-depth qualitative study contends that such iconic-historic commemorative events may be as significant as hallmark events within strategic event portfolios. The contributions of this paper are the definition of iconic-historic events as distinct forms of commemorative events; the recognition of the potential significance of these events to event tourism; and the development of a commemorative portfolio which can inform the established event portfolio for strategic event tourism management. The paper concludes by making recommendations for the use of such events in event tourism settings.