Service Quality Perception and Satisfaction in a New Zealand Festivalscape: Buying Behavior Effects

Abstract

This study identified three festivalscape dimensions, namely generic festival features, specific events and comfort amenities, and entertainment features, as indicators of quality perception. A strong relationship between the quality perception and satisfaction constructs could not be found, similar to other studies. The study was conducted on 389 attendees at a major wine festival in the Hawke's Bay Region of New Zealand. The research provides new insight to festivalscape knowledge in that it identifies the first-time and repeat visitor dynamic as a predictor of actual buying behavior at a festival. The higher the percentage of repeat visitors, the higher the likelihood of (wine) buying. The festival's entertainment features are a stronger predictor of buying behavior than generic festival features or specific events and comfort amenities. Repeat visitors, 35 years and older in age, are the highest yielding visitor group from a financial viewpoint. First-time visitors are far more short-term oriented than repeat visitors in their planning when making the final decision to attend the festival event.