Historical reenactments as a component of event tourism: from festival venues to the virtual world

Abstract

The subject of the study is the current trends in the development of historical reenactment festivals as an important component of event tourism and analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this industry. The author also focuses on changes in tourists' preferences caused by social, economic and technological transformations. The goal of the work is to determine the prospects for the development of historical reenactment festivals in the world and in Ukraine in the context of post-pandemic recovery, as well as to develop certain recommendations for the use of virtual formats to maintain audience interest and ensure the sustainability of this form of event tourism. The objectives of the study include: the analysis of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on historical reenactment festivals; identification of changes in tourist preferences caused by social, economic and technological transformations; assessment of the implementation of digital technologies in historical reenactment festivals. The study is based on the following methods: analysis of modern publications and examples of successful practices from different countries; using the comparison method, the author finds out how digital technologies are implemented in the organization of historical reenactment festivals, what challenges and opportunities are associated with this process. As a result, the conclusion is drawn that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the festival movement in the world and in Ukraine. In particular, there have been changes in the format of events: due to their mass cancellations, there has been a decline in tradition, a reduction in audience, and an orientation towards local communities. However, in many cases, the crisis has become a catalyst for innovation. First of all, it is about the use of virtual and augmented reality technologies, which allow creating new formats of cultural events. The online formats implemented in the festivals have allowed not only to maintain contact with the target audience, but also to significantly expand the geography of their participants by ensuring wide access from different countries of the world. Conclusions: festival organizers in Ukraine have also begun to use digital technologies, which allows them to draw attention to the national cultural heritage, despite the restrictions that are now associated with the full-scale Russian invasion. At the same time, the author draws attention to the fact that since the youth audience gravitates towards modern technologies and especially to the gamification of content, there is a danger of losing what is denoted by the concept of “cultural authenticity” and which especially characterized the festivals of historical reenactments. This necessitates the need to more actively involve professional experts in determining the content of such events. However, in general, the introduction of VR and AR technologies, the creation of multilingual content and the use of online platforms can strengthen the positions of festivals in the global event tourism market. This also applies to historical reenactment festivals in Ukraine. Thus, although the COVID-19 pandemic has become a serious test for the industry, at the same time these tests have led to important transformations. The preservation of the festival movement depends on the ability of organizers to carefully implement technologies that will make events more accessible, interactive and personalized, while preserving the established traditions that determined their “cultural authenticity”. Ukraine, with its rich historical potential, can become an example of a successful combination of traditions and innovation in event tourism.