Like a Phoenix from the Ashes - A portrayal of Rotterdam hosting Eurovision 2020

Over the past years, event tourism has developed into a widely covered field of study, with practical implications in event management and image building. However, little is known about how event tourism can shape and portray place image. Furthermore, research is lacking in this portrayal of image whilst a destination is preparing for an event, or when the event gets canceled. This thesis explores how the place image of Rotterdam is portrayed in relation to Eurovision 2020 as event tourism. By performing a qualitative content analysis on 45 news articles covering the Bidding, Preparation, and Cancellation stages of the event, this thesis aims to answer the following research question: “How does AD Rotterdams Dagblad portray the image of Rotterdam in relation to Eurovision Song Contest 2020, and how does this image shift in various stages of this coverage?”. With this question, this thesis aims to provide new insights into how these stages surrounding event tourism can shape and portray place image, to further develop and find connections in existing theory on the image of Rotterdam, and to provide an example for other cities and event planners in planning. The news articles portray Rotterdam as a city that is always finding ways to improve itself, by using what is lost to create something new. Many of these improvements are shown to be generated by feelings of inclusivity and connectedness, with Rotterdam and Rotterdammers using Eurovision to provide them with a celebration for all. During the various stages of coverage on Eurovision 2020, the portrayal of the image of Rotterdam gently shifts from a city full of confidence in the bidding stages, to a city preparing to create a successful event while improving its image during the preparations, and finally to a city that takes the Corona Crisis to show its resilience.