Abstract (150 Words)
Festivals in rural areas are increasingly being used as instruments for promoting tourism and boosting the regional economy (Felsenstein & Fleischer, 2003). However, most market segmentation studies have been conducted using a single segmentation basis. The present study used three variables to identify segments of visitors from ten rural community festivals to avoid this limitation. A total of 366 visitors provided usable data. The results show significant differences in information sources, length of stay, travel expenditures, and satisfaction levels among three clusters. Visitors did not come to the area for the events were actually the ones who stayed longer and spent more to the event. Event managers should consider different needs and preference of these two segments and create value proposition for non-event seekers.
Profiling Rural Festival Visitors by Previous Visits, Purpose of Travel, and Activities: A Multi-Segmentation Approach
Festivals in rural areas are increasingly being used as instruments for promoting tourism and boosting the regional economy (Felsenstein & Fleischer, 2003). However, most market segmentation studies have been conducted using a single segmentation basis. The present study used three variables to identify segments of visitors from ten rural community festivals to avoid this limitation. A total of 366 visitors provided usable data. The results show significant differences in information sources, length of stay, travel expenditures, and satisfaction levels among three clusters. Visitors did not come to the area for the events were actually the ones who stayed longer and spent more to the event. Event managers should consider different needs and preference of these two segments and create value proposition for non-event seekers.
