Abstract
This commentary examines how events-related research has and increasingly contributes to tourism studies, and how these lines of argument have evolved over the last thirty years, primarily in Annals of Tourism Research. I explicate the theoretical features of events, how previous work has conceptualized them, and why events are unique organizational settings to contribute to theory development. This is particularly significant as events are increasingly delivered in public, cultural and tourist spaces – an extra-territorial shift with implications for the future study and practice of tourism. I close by calling for a more plural conception of events, inclusive of world events, which share similar conceptual features to cultural and sporting events that typically dominate social analysis in event and tourism studies.
•Explores how events-related research has and increasingly contributes to tourism studies•Explicates theoretical features of events and how previous work has conceptualized them•Argues why events are unique organizational settings to contribute to theory development•Illustrates how events are increasingly permeating into public, cultural and tourist spaces•Presents future research areas related to events and tourism studies.