Events and Hospitality: Strategic Insights From Hotel Managers in Portugal

Abstract

Events have emerged as critical levers for destination competitiveness, seasonality mitigation, and hospitality performance. However, the impact of events on hotel operations remains underexplored, particularly from the perspective of hotel management. This exploratory study examines how hotel directors perceive, measure, and adapt to the influence of events across different Portuguese destinations. A focus group was conducted with hotel directors operating in various regions of Portugal, representing both independent and chain-affiliated units. Through a content analysis approach, six thematic dimensions were identified: 1) limitations in capturing guest motivations and event-related revenue; 2) disparities in data sharing and benchmarking practices; 3) regional and typological variability in event impact; 4) internal organizational responses to event operations; 5) structural challenges in stakeholder coordination and communication; and 6) prospective trends in event-driven hospitality strategy. Findings reveal considerable heterogeneity in how hotels integrate events into strategic planning, especially concerning pricing, forecasting, and operational readiness. While internal events are more easily tracked, external events often generate unaccounted residual revenues. The results also underscore persistent difficulties in institutional coordination, particularly with municipalities, and a general reluctance among hotel administrators to share performance data due to competitive concerns. Nevertheless, the focus group highlighted that academically framed collaborations may facilitate more open dialogue and data sharing. The study offers preliminary yet valuable insights into the operational, strategic, and governance challenges faced by hotels in leveraging events as tools for value creation, brand positioning, and sustainability-oriented planning. By shedding light on the interface between event dynamics and hospitality management, this research contributes to academic debate and practice in tourism destination development.