Long-term Effect of Mega Sports Event on Host Country’s Tourism: Evidence from the Jakarta-Palembang 2018 Asian Games

The 2018 Asian Games is the biggest sports event in the history of Asian Games in terms of contested sports as well as the participating athletes. Considering the massive scale of the event, it is imperative that the benefits generated by the 2018 Asian Games be measured. This study contributes to the extant body of literature on the long-term benefits of sports event on tourism and sports tourism sectors, with reference to the case of 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. Using primary data collected through the survey during the event, the study found that hosting the 2018 Asian Games has increased favorable perceptions among event participants and visitors towards Indonesia; positively affected the propensity to repeat visitations to Indonesia in the future; increased the likelihood of giving positive referrals to Indonesia for tourism destination and future international sports event hosting. The academic and policy implications of the findings are discussed.