Residents’ perceptions on impacts of hosting the Guimarães 2012 European Capital of Culture: Comparison of the pre and post periods

Abstract

This chapter investigates residents’ perceptions on the impacts of hosting the 2012 European Capital of Culture (ECOC) in a before-and-after approach. Two surveys were applied to residents in Guimarães, one in the pre-event (2011) and another in the post-event period (2013). After a factor analysis, the results of t-tests indicate that there were significant differences between the before and after 2012 ECOC samples in two positive impact factors (Investment and immaterial benefits and Economic and social benefits) and in one negative impact factor (Economic, social and environmental cost).