Controversies inherent in sport tourism events: A case study of the European Maccabi Games 2015 in Berlin

Marx, Judith

4. term

Tourism, Master

2015

2015-06-01

Denne afhandling undersøger European Maccabi Games 2015 i Berlin fra et turismeperspektiv og ser på, hvordan begivenhedens følsomme historiske baggrund prægede holdninger, planlægning, muligheder og udfordringer. Studiet bygger på et enkelt casestudie med interviews af involverede interessenter, suppleret af sekundære kilder (faglige publikationer, bøger, hjemmesider og avisartikler), egne observationer og skriftligt materiale fra en politisk konference i Berlin om begivenheden. European Maccabi Games er en jødisk sportsbegivenhed, som i 2015 blev planlagt i Berlin – tidligere naziregimets hovedstad, ansvarlig for Holocaust. De skulle afholdes i Olympiapark, samme sted som OL i 1936, hvor jødiske udøvere blev udelukket. Året 2015 markerede samtidig 70-året for Anden Verdenskrigs afslutning og 50-året for tysk-israelske relationer. Denne historiske kontekst gav på den ene side stærk opbakning fra den offentlige sektor, fordi begivenheden havde stor symbolsk betydning. På den anden side skabte den særlige udfordringer for planlægningen, især omkring sikkerhed, finansiering og markedsføring. Den private sektor afviste i vidt omfang at sponsorere på grund af den omstridte baggrund, hvilket svækkede markedsføringen, da sponsorer normalt er vigtige for at skabe synlighed. Begivenheden forventedes at påvirke turismen ved at tiltrække andre typer besøgende end normalt – især jødiske gæster, som måske ellers ikke ville have rejst til Berlin – og ved at styrke byens image som kosmopolitisk og multikulturel. Sammenlignet med andre sportsbegivenheder i Berlin i 2015 skilte European Maccabi Games sig ud på grund af deres usædvanlige baggrund. Afhandlingen peger på, at store sportsbegivenheder ofte rummer kontroverser, som forskningen i høj grad overser, og efterlyser mere opmærksomhed på både de særlige udfordringer og muligheder, dette skaber for turisme- og eventplanlægning. I Berlins tilfælde blev betydningen og de tilhørende spændinger vurderet som større end i tidligere værtsbyer på grund af byens historiske forhold til jøder.

This thesis examines the European Maccabi Games 2015 in Berlin through a tourism lens, focusing on how the event’s sensitive history shaped attitudes, planning, opportunities, and challenges. It uses a single case study based on interviews with stakeholders, secondary sources (academic publications, books, websites, and newspapers), personal observation, and written material from a political conference in Berlin addressing the event. The European Maccabi Games are a Jewish sports event. Hosting them in Berlin—the former capital of Nazi Germany, responsible for the Holocaust—made the context contentious. The planned venue, the Olympiapark, also hosted the 1936 Olympics, where Jewish athletes were excluded. The year 2015 additionally marked 70 years since the end of World War II and 50 years of German–Israeli relations. This backdrop generated strong support from the public sector because of the event’s symbolic importance, but it also created specific planning challenges, especially around security, funding, and marketing. The private sector largely refused sponsorship due to the controversial context, which limited marketing reach, since sponsors are typically important for raising awareness. The event was expected to affect tourism by attracting different kinds of visitors—particularly Jewish visitors who might not otherwise travel to Berlin—and by reinforcing Berlin’s image as a cosmopolitan and multicultural city. Within Berlin’s 2015 sports event calendar, the European Maccabi Games stood out because of their unusual background. The thesis argues that while many large-scale sports events involve controversy, research often overlooks this, and it calls for more attention to both the challenges and opportunities such contexts create for tourism and event planning. In Berlin’s case, the significance and disputes were greater than in previous host cities due to the city’s historical relationship with Jewish communities.

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