Attraction & Event Management-Samples for Students Myassignment

Question: Discuss about the role of events and attractions within the Tourism and Hospitality Industry. Answer: All societies perform several festivities, rituals and public celebrations. It gives a feeling of togetherness and also it is seen as unique and destination image makers which helps in attracting the tourists. Festivals and events act as a catalyst which attracts the tourists, increasing their number (Yeoman et al. 2012). This essay mainly focuses on a particular event called Noche de Brujas or Night of the Witches - a three day celebration of the supernatural, which is held in Catemaco, Mexico on the first Friday of March. The event is one of the most original events. The streets become dark, as if spirits, witches, ghosts and demons have visited the place. The whole of Mexico is set up in a horror theme which draws the attention of a huge number of audiences. The specific objectives of the essay is to illustrate the type of the event, giving equal attention to its dimension and associated attractions, content, location, size, budget considerations, number of participants and the event stakeholders. Catemaco, a city in Mexico, is known as the Capital of Witchcraft, where one can easily get a cure for any curse or one can hire a witch to perform a curse on someone he/she dislikes. This tradition goes back to centuries, mixing several ancient beliefs and traditions and also voodoo practices. The concept of a witchcraft convention, hosted by a Bruja or a Shaman, began in the year 1970 (Pardo 2012). The concept of the event got stuck and now each year thousands of witches, wizards, healers, shamans and brujas from all parts of Mexico, perform a mass cleansing ceremony to get rid of their sins and last years negative energies. Magicians, fortune tellers, shamans, witches and prophets roam around the charming streets of Catemaco, Mexico. They perform supernatural things and give advises to the ones who contribute few pesos. The first weekend is marked with special ceremonies and gala events (Gonzalez-Paraiso 2014). Large number of tourists visit the place in order to get a glimpse of such other worldly event. There are several live music and dance performances which entertain the tourists all day long. Stalls are set up at various places, which sell amulets, trinkets, magical potions, healers and other kinds of spiritual items. If someone is willing to invest a little more then he/she can watch the black magic ceremony. Shamans are considered to be the most powerful ones to perform mass purification and the time after the event gets over is considered to be favorable. Serious worshippers of Dark Arts are offended with the people who have set up fake business to fool the tourists (Pardo 2012). The event has become more commercial, as the number of tourist heads is increasing every year. The budget is around 300,000 dollars approximately. The brujas offer a wide range of services to the visitors like card reading, advices, fortune telling and herbal remedies. Adventurous tourists get involved into the fun of the event Noche de Brujas, some witness the mass cleansing ceremony and others dare to take part in it (Yeoman et al. 2012). In the Vera Cruz region, the adventurers will find great mystery and diversity surrounding the lake side town. The mountains, green coastal plains and forests are full of ancient flavor which not only excites the tourists but also such experiences can send chills up someones spine. Moreover there is a mystical lake for boating, swimming and enjoying the natural beauty of the place. In the center of the wide six mile lake there are number of islands, one of those locally known as Monkey Island, which is named after a number of monkeys who had been imported there from Thailand, for scientific study (Martinez et al. 2017). Apart than these, there are small villages in the remote areas, lush tropical rain forest for experiencing rich tropics and unspoiled beaches. Tourists can take a mineral mud spa or have a spiritual way of cleansing in the rain forest of Reserva Ecolologica de Naciyaga (Everfest.com. 2017). The Noche de Brujas event brings in huge sum of money to the countrys economy. Over five thousand visitors, including rich and famous businessmen to national level politicians attends the event in the hope of getting cleansed from previous years sins and negative energies (Hawkes 2017). People dance, sing and enjoy the three daylong events, which brings refreshment to their daily work life. Tourists from different parts of the world attend the event for its uniqueness. This is because it is not promoted as a part of Halloween. It brings about three million pesos to the local economy, which is beneficial for the people of the country (Martinez et al. 2017). The event stakeholders are the hotel owners, residents, tourism managers, local council, stall owners and others who make huge business in this event. Huge number of tourists visits Catemaco at this time of the year. Hotel owners make huge profit by offering accommodation. Moreover, they buy several things from the stalls set up in the event, which helps the local owners earn money. Dark Arts practitioners earn a lot, as some tourists take part in the mass cleansing ceremony to experience the event (Lonelyplanet.com 2017). To conclude, the city of Catemaco is a strangely beautiful place. One can sense the strange and mythical atmosphere in every nook and corner of the place. Supercharged with superstitious beliefs and thick tropical air, this city is attractive in nature. March is the perfect time to travel to this magical part of the world, to witness the annual celebration of the place, that is, Noche de Brujas or Night of the Witches. Rich in great diversity and mystery, this place has loads to discover and for all the adventure lovers out there, missing this places supernatural aspects would be a great loss. References Everfest.com. (2017).Noche de Brujas 2018 in Catemaco, Mexico | Everfest. [online] Available at: https://www.everfest.com/e/noche-de-brujas-catemaco-mexico [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017]. Gonzalez-Paraiso, R., 2014.Re-contextualizing Traditions: The Performance of Identity in Festivals of Huasteco, Jarocho, and Terracalenteno Sones in Mexico(Doctoral dissertation, The University of Wisconsin-Madison). Hawkes, L. (2017).The Noche de Brujas Festival in Catemaco Mexico. [online] Mexicolesstraveled.com. Available at: https://mexicolesstraveled.com/witchfest.htm [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017]. Lonelyplanet.com (2017).Noche de Brujas: a guide to Mexicos Night of the Witches. [online] Lonely Planet. Available at: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/mexico/central-gulf-coast/catemaco/travel-tips-and-articles/noche-de-brujas-a-guide-to-mexicos-night-of-the-witches/40625c8c-8a11-5710-a052-1479d2772267 [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017]. Martinez, M.L., Silva, R., Lithgow, D., Mendoza, E., Flores, P., Martnez, R. and Cruz, C., 2017. Human impact on coastal resilience along the coast of Veracruz, Mexico.Journal of Coastal Research,77(sp1), pp.143-153. Pardo, O.F., 2012. The Spectacular City, Mexico, and Colonial Hispanic Culture.Revista Hispnica Moderna,65(2), pp.243-244. Yeoman, I., Robertson, M., Ali-Knight, J., Drummond, S. and McMahon-Beattie, U. eds., 2012.Festival and events management. Routledge.