festival tourism case study

Event and festival research: a review and research directions

International Journal of Event and Festival Management

ISSN : 1758-2954

Article publication date: 19 November 2019

Issue publication date: 19 November 2019

Mair, J. and Weber, K. (2019), "Event and festival research: a review and research directions", International Journal of Event and Festival Management , Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 209-216. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEFM-10-2019-080

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited

Events and festivals are key elements of the tourism product in many destinations ( Getz and Page, 2016 ). The ability of festivals and events to attract visitors to a host region, and to contribute to its economic and social well-being explains the significance afforded to them in many tourism policies and strategies ( Mair and Whitford, 2013 ). This contribution is a strong justification for public funding of events and festivals ( Felsenstein and Fleischer, 2003 ; O’Hagan, 1992 ). Thus, in conjunction with tourism, they are becoming a realistic policy option for regional development ( Moscardo, 2007 ; Robinson et al. , 2004 ). However, the rapid growth of the events/festival industry in the past few decades has not always been matched with the level of research devoted to investigating it. Additionally, the fragmented nature of the research that exists poses challenges for researchers and practitioners trying to identify both the existing knowledge and any research gaps. Nonetheless, the interest of the academic community in event and festival research has increased significantly, particularly in the past decade. This has broadly aligned with the time that the International Journal of Event and Festival Management has been in existence. Here we look back on the general direction of research in our field and provide some potential avenues for future research to strengthen and enrich event and festival research.

To date, several reviews have examined the state of research relating to festivals and events. Getz (2010) reviewed the literature on festivals, identifying three major discourses – a classical discourse, concerning the roles, meanings and impacts of festivals in society and culture; an instrumentalist discourse, where festivals are viewed as tools to be used in economic development, particularly in relation to tourism and place marketing; and an event management discourse, which focuses on the production and marketing of festivals and the management of festival organisations ( Getz, 2010 ). Getz and Page (2016) also reviewed the event tourism literature. According to Getz (2013), there are five core propositions of event tourism: events can attract visitors who may not otherwise visit the area; events can create a positive destination image and branding; events contribute to place marketing by making destinations more attractive; events animate cities, resorts and parks; and event tourism is a catalyst for other forms of development. A more recent review of trends in event management research was published in 2017, highlighting the themes which appeared to represent the most popular research topics over the period from 1998 until 2013 in studies published in leading hospitality and tourism as well as event-focused academic journals ( Park and Park, 2017 ). A total of 698 articles were analysed and results showed that the most popular research topics were marketing, events and destinations and management. Planning and evaluation of events along with the use of technology in events were also well represented in this sample. However, events education and human resources in events appeared to be less well researched ( Park and Park, 2017 ). Other reviews have been completed in the area of festivals, but they have been limited by a focus on papers published in journals associated with one discipline or field of study only. For example, Cudny (2014) took a geographical perspective and Frost (2015) reviewed anthropological studies of festivals, which broadly position festivals as sites of cultural practice and experience. However, neither addressed festival management issues.

The literature on events and festivals has been approached from a number of theoretical perspectives. Initially, cultural and social research predominated. However, more recently far more research has taken a business orientation, focusing on themes such as management, marketing and tourism, as noted by Park and Park (2017) .

Festivals/events and tourism

The links between events (particularly festivals) and tourism have been a fertile area for research. Increasing tourism is one of the key reasons why local governments support and stage festivals ( Mayfield and Crompton, 1995 ), and according to Anderssen and Getz (2009), many destinations view festivals as attractions and use them as part of their destination marketing strategy. There are clear benefits to hosting festivals, primarily in terms of economic but also social benefits. In relation to economic benefits, increasing visitor numbers, supporting job creation and underpinning economic development appear to be the main positive impacts of festivals; however, the extent of such positive impacts is disputed in relation to whether festivals actually attract visitors ( McKercher et al. , 2006 ); whether visitors are even aware of festivals when they make their destination decision ( Oh and Lee, 2012 ); and whether festival visitors, many of whom camp and eat on the festival site, are actually making much economic contribution at all (Saleh and Ryan, 2003). Further, in relation to social benefits such as community cohesion, sense of place, belonging and identity, the literature appears somewhat contrary. While there is plenty of evidence to suggest that these are the objectives of festival organisers, funding bodies and local authorities, there appears to be less evidence of whether festivals are successful in achieving these objectives, and through which mechanisms this may be facilitated. Further, while festivals have unique features and cultural dimensions which are also important factors for attracting tourists, the importance of exercising caution when using tangible or intangible historic and cultural resources for festival activities seems to be less acknowledged. Therefore, while the potential benefits of festivals have been clearly outlined, research appears to be lacking in terms of truly comprehending how best to achieve these desired benefits.

Festivals/events and marketing

There is also a significant body of work that examines events/festivals and marketing, with this topic representing the most widely researched theme identified by Park and Park (2017) . Drawing on initial work by Crompton and McKay (1997) , who proposed six key motivational dimensions to explain festival attendance, researchers have examined attendance motivations in a multitude of contexts, yet for the most part, few significant differences have been found. Existing reviews have already ascertained that attendance motivations have been thoroughly researched ( Getz, 2010 ); yet, studies continue to be published in this topic. For example, while there have been some minor differences to the original Crompton and McKay (1997) motivation framework, the underlying dimensions appear to be relatively stable over time and across a variety of contexts. Nonetheless, each year more studies appear testing these dimensions in yet more contexts.

Similarly, an established body of research has concluded that good quality festivals result in attendee satisfaction, which then leads to increased loyalty in the form of future re-purchase intentions (see for example, Anil, 2012 ; Cole and Illum, 2006 ; Cole and Chancellor, 2009 ; Lee et al. , 2007 ; Son and Lee, 2011 ; Mason and Nassivera, 2013 ). Nevertheless, despite this literature, studies examining the relationship between satisfaction, quality and loyalty continue to be published. Finally, market segmentation studies occur frequently in the festival literature, yet as most are case study based, they are failing to make generalisable contributions to our knowledge of this area. In summary, it appears that in these areas, researchers have simply been making only small, incremental contributions.

Several issues have arisen in relation to festival marketing and consumer behaviour which would present useful opportunities for further study. For example, the decision-making process of festival goers requires more research, as much of this research to date has been undertaken in case study contexts, without further generalisation (e.g. Kruger and Saayman, 2012 ). Further, there is a noticeable lack of research in areas of marketing that more recently gained greater popularity, including experiential marketing, and very little research on the role of social media and events. Experiential marketing focuses primarily on helping consumers to experience a brand, with the goal of forming a memorable connection and an expected outcome of future purchases and brand loyalty. Festivals offer an unrivalled opportunity for organisations to showcase their brands and build a connection in the mind of the consumer between the festival experience and the brand experience, as noted by Chen et al. (2011) , yet this is a relatively unexplored area where future research should be carried out.

Social media has also been the focus of surprisingly few festival studies thus far. This is particularly unexpected given the widespread use of various types of social media and its obvious links with marketing. In a case study of music festivals, Hudson and Hudson (2013) carried out some pioneering work to understand how festival organisers are engaging with both social media and their consumers. Their findings suggest that music festival organisers are proactive in using social media. In a subsequent study, Hudson et al. (2015) developed a conceptual model that was subsequently tested with music festival attendees. Study findings provided evidence that social media do indeed have a significant influence on emotions and attachments to festival brands, and that social media-based relationships lead to desired outcomes such as positive word of mouth. Montanari et al. (2013) examine an Italian photography festival, and revealed how using social media and Web 2.0 technology enhanced the way the festival was able to communicate with its audience. Social media is also changing the way potential attendees make their attendance decision. Lee et al. (2012) investigated whether engagement with a festival “event” page on Facebook was linked with actual attendance at the festival. They found some evidence to suggest that the event Facebook page stimulated emotions and a desire to attend the actual festival. Research by Williams et al. (2015) suggests that festivals are both generators and animators of electronic word of mouth, but the authors acknowledge the exploratory nature of their research. Sigala (2018a, b) has advanced our conceptual knowledge of social media as it relates to both festival management and marketing, creating a typology of the way that social media is being used in festival management and organisation. She also drew attention to the use and influence of social media on both attendee experiences and decision making and festival marketing strategies. In view of the omnipresent nature of social media, this is an area where there is a considerable need for further research in the festival context; there is ample room for new studies relating to social media to bring theory development and practical implications.

Technology mediated experiences are changing the festivalscape as events and festivals integrate hardware, software, netware and humanware into the attendee experience ( Neuhofer et al. , 2014 ; Robertson et al. , 2015 ; Van Winkle et al. , 2018 ). ICT has been used at events and festivals for utilitarian and hedonic purposes yet little is known about the implications for the events, attendees, volunteers and other stakeholders. Thus, research into the integration of ICT into the administration, design, marketing, operations and risk management of events and festivals is essential. An upcoming special issue of IJEFM will focus on these key issues.

Festivals/events and management

Three key aspects of strategic festival management have received significant attention from researchers – stakeholder management; festival success factors and conversely, festival failures; and festivals and environmental sustainability. The importance of understanding and managing stakeholders is widely acknowledged (e.g. Reid, 2007 ), and it may very well be that further research will simply underline this. However, in relation to other aspects of management, there are certainly areas where more research is required. For example, whilst knowledge transfer appears to be taking place in successful festivals ( Stadler et al. , 2014 ), transfer of knowledge is not well defined, or even explicitly acknowledged. Interestingly, festival failure has apparently been the subject of more research than festival success but further areas for useful contributions remain. These include succession planning and risk management. In addition, differences in strategic management planning and operations between festivals under different types of ownership appear significantly under-researched (Andersson and Getz, 2009; Carlsen and Andersson 2011 ). Despite a few studies (e.g. Robertson and Yeoman, 2014; Yeoman, 2013 ), there have also been few attempts to foresee future trends and issues that are likely to affect festivals and their management.

Getz and Page (2016) also argue for further research to better understand the role that festivals play in bringing together disparate groups such as visitors and residents. Complex relationships between communal identity and place emerge as people have various sets of connections to multiple notions of “place” and “home”. This is an area where social science research could play an important role, bringing together the business aspects of tourism and festival management with the issues of place, space and people researched by geographers and social scientists.

There is also a small but growing body of knowledge on festivals and sustainability; however, this topical area offers considerable potential for future research, and ample room for further theoretical and practical contributions. Research attention may be placed on issues such as the triple bottom line, links between festivals and social sustainability, and even the opportunities for festivals to play an education and behaviour change role in relation to pro-environmental behaviour. For example, Andersson and Lundberg (2013) considered the notion of commensurability and proposed a framework for assessing the overall TBL sustainability of a festival by allocating a monetary value to each component. This is done using market values of emission rights, the shadow costs of environmental resources, contingent valuation analysis of (willingness to pay for) socio-cultural impacts and estimates of direct expenditure and opportunity cost. However, the authors acknowledge that there are aspects of their framework which are subjective, and they note that future research is needed to clarify the generalisability of their framework. Duran et al. (2014) also propose a framework – the Sustainable Festival Management Model – which highlights that stakeholder participation, especially non-governmental organisations, the tourism sector and local people who might be impacted by the festival, is vital for the development of a sustainable festival. Van Niekerk and Coetzee (2011) used the VICE model (visitor, industry community and environment) to assess the sustainability of an arts festival in South Africa and suggest that this framework can help to identify critical issues relating to a festival and its sustainability. However, they also note that research using this model is somewhat limited in the events context and that further research on the efficacy and usefulness of the model is required ( Van Niekerk and Coetzee, 2011 ).

Implications for future festival/event research

There are several implications for future festival/event research resulting from the brief overview provided. These can be classified as opportunities for interdisciplinary research, a reliance on the western perspective and a corresponding lack of different cultural perspectives, an absence of research into the pedagogy of festival/event studies and finally, an array of limitations associated with the current body of knowledge.

First, there is a lack of interdisciplinary work that incorporates business and social and/or spatial perspectives. In his review, Getz (2010) highlighted that the classical discourse was under-acknowledged in extant festival studies, and that more connections should be made between festival studies and other disciplines such as sociology and anthropology. Further, Cudny (2014) called for more theoretical research to underpin the development of festival studies in future. Much of the work that has taken a business perspective, perhaps not surprisingly, has focused inwards on the festival – how to market, manage, stage it and provide a good quality service and experience (see Park and Park, 2017 ). However, very little of the festival research appearing in the business literature has been outwardly focused – considering how festivals may be mechanisms for achieving other aims – social, cultural, political, behavioural, etc. Clearly, in order to survive, festivals have to be successful business products, but in order to achieve other objectives, managers need to be aware of some of the issues that are explored in the social sciences and humanities literature, such as inclusion vs exclusion at festivals, festivals and authenticity/tradition, and festivals as spaces of protest, counterculture and self-expression, to name but a few. Interdisciplinary work, using theories and concepts from beyond business disciplines (e.g. social capital, affect and emotion theories and Florida’s (2002, 2003) creative industries framework) would inform festival research, and while the majority of recent work being published on festivals has appeared in journals associated with tourism, events and business more broadly, applying other disciplinary theories and frameworks would bring these to a new audience and thus, help to make a greater contribution.

Second, there is a dearth of different cultural perspectives in festival and event research. While already highlighted by Getz (2010) , it appears that researchers have not paid much heed to his call for comparative and cross-cultural studies. There is a need to move away from Western paradigms when examining non-Western phenomena. For example, Pine (2002) suggested that the development policy of hotel groups or chains established in China needs to consider the Chinese socio-economic context, thus implying that a research model should be developed specifically for China hotel development. China’s hotel industry is different from that of other countries due to fierce competition, multiform ownership and management systems, and coupled with China’s unique culture society might require a different research approach. Similar considerations would be of value in relation to festivals research in other non-western contexts. In a similar vein, the number of countries with resident populations that are culturally diverse has led to an awareness of the importance of building well-organised, multicultural societies ( Chin, 1992 ; Lee et al. , 2012 ; Parekh, 2006 ). Festivals can play a significant role in this. Multicultural festivals are especially important for minority groups seeking to maintain cultural traditions ( Lee et al. , 2012 ). However, despite some initial research in this area, further detailed study of the nature of festivals in a multicultural society would be of tremendous value.

Third, there are no pedagogical articles specifically related to festival studies. There is a relatively limited body of knowledge relating to teaching event management. For example Getz (2010) highlights that events students should learn and be able to apply both event specific knowledge (such as understanding the meaning, importance and impacts of festivals and events, and in addition their limited duration and episodic nature) as well as management specific knowledge including marketing, finance and accounting. Additionally, initiatives such as the development of the International Event Management Body of Knowledge seek to define research and understand the parameters of events and the knowledge, understanding and skills required in order to succeed in a contemporary environment ( Silvers et al. , 2005 ). Nonetheless, the pedagogy of festival and event studies remains an important, yet significantly under-researched area.

Finally, there are a number of limitations relating to the existing body of festival/event literature. Reminiscent of other review papers in the broader tourism and hospitality context, and beyond (e.g. Denizci Guillet and Mohammed, 2015 ; Kong and Cheung, 2009 ; Mattila, 2004 ; Yoo and Weber, 2005 ), the vast majority of papers relating to festival/event research are empirical rather than conceptual and theoretical in nature. In addition, as has been noted already, much of the research in the field of festivals has taken a case study approach. This has arguably limited the scope and scale of our knowledge of festivals. More sophisticated methods, both qualitative and quantitative, would provide a more nuanced study of particular festivals and places, yet at the same time contribute further to advancing our theoretical and practical knowledge of festivals.

Given this, a call for greater theory development and testing within the festival context appears timely. This is in line with Oh et al. (2004 , p. 441) who note that “[…] applications are not a wrong effort to make; what is needed is a stronger conceptual rigour and meaningful contribution [to] back to the mainstream theoretical thought through creative application and domain-specific theory development activities.”

Judith Mair and Karin Weber

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Further reading

Andersson , T.D. and Getz , D. ( 2008 ), “ Stakeholder management strategies of festivals ”, Journal of Convention & Event Tourism , Vol. 9 No. 3 , pp. 199 - 220 .

Chang , J. ( 2006 ), “ Segmenting tourists to aboriginal cultural festivals: an example in the Rukai tribal area, Taiwan ”, Tourism Management , Vol. 27 No. 6 , pp. 1224 - 1234 .

Lee , J. ( 2014 ), “ Visitors’ emotional responses to the festival environment ”, Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing , Vol. 31 No. 1 , pp. 114 - 131 .

Saleh , F. and Ryan , C. ( 1993 ), “ Jazz and knitwear: factors that attract tourists to festivals ”, Tourism Management , Vol. 14 No. 4 , pp. 289 - 297 .

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New perspectives on satisfaction and loyalty in festival tourism: The function of tangible and intangible attributes

Jesús molina-gómez.

1 Faculty of Economics Sciences, Department of Business and Management, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain

Pere Mercadé-Melé

2 Faculty of Economics Sciences, Department of Statistics and Econometrics, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain

Fernando Almeida-García

3 Faculty of Tourism, Institute of Tourism Intelligence and Innovation Research (i3t), University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain

Raquel Ruiz-Berrón

Associated data.

All relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting information files.

This research explains how attributes perceived during the festival celebration generate loyalty in terms of satisfaction. As regard, tangible aspects (festival entertainment and aesthetics) and intangible aspects (escapism and education) shall be differentiated. A theoretical model is proposed, which explains the effects of festival attributes on satisfaction and loyalty through structural equation modelling. The model was estimated with a sample of 440 people attending Weekend Beach Festival in Spain. The research proves the relationship between attributes and loyalty through satisfaction as a moderating variable; likewise, tangible attributes are deemed to have a greater influence on loyalty, specifically, the aesthetic/environment experience.

Introduction

Nowadays, festivals are considered to be a fundamental pillar within the tourism industry. Festivals are valued, among other characteristics, for their ability to create an image in destinations and for being a tourist offering itself [ 1 ]. According to [ 2 ], this experiential product is essential for tourism promotion and is a clear marketing tool for the destination. Festivals play an increasingly more important role in tourist activity, thus relating them to various topics:

• Academic interest on this topic is global, therefore studies can be found in any region around the world, whether in Europe [ 3 ], the Middle East [ 4 ], Asia [ 5 ], Africa [ 6 ], North America [ 7 ] and Oceania [ 8 ].
• In recent years, research has focused on the analysis of visitors’ characteristics: the segmentation of attendees [ 2 ], their behaviour in theoretical models [ 9 ], attendees’ characteristics [ 10 ], satisfaction [ 5 ] and the loyalty created by festivals in their users [ 7 ].

Many authors define festival tourism as an experience product and a tourist offering made up of experiential aspects [ 7 , 11 ]. On the other hand, festival tourism focuses on experience as one of the main competitive advantages, so much so that [ 12 ] defend the existence of an experience economy as a fundamental variable to value festival consumers’ behaviour. For these authors, festival consumers’ behaviour lies in the festival’s educational experience, entertainment, escapism and aesthetics. Organisers wish to create an environment for a satisfactory experience; they must generate an interest to return [ 13 ]. According to [ 14 ], the factors which contribute to creating satisfaction and loyalty in festival tourism are the festival’s activities, authenticity-uniqueness, sales concessions, environment, escape and socialisation throughout the event.

Some studies which analyse festival-goers’ loyalty highlight that festival’s characteristics influence loyalty through festival experience [ 3 , 15 ]; other studies consider the type of attribute and perceptions on loyalty [ 14 ]. However, no focus has been made on the specific weight of each attribute and the festival experience to explain their effect on festival attendees’ satisfaction and loyalty.

The aim of this study is to demonstrate the effect of the tangibility and intangibility of attributes on loyalty through satisfaction in festival tourism, bearing in mind the distinctive value of attributes ( Fig 1 ). This research delves into previous studies which have analysed relationships between categories and loyalty and satisfaction in festivals [ 3 , 9 , 14 , 15 ]. This study provides a new analysis on the distinctive role of festival attributes and experiences with regard to loyalty and satisfaction. This research represents an advance on the contributions of [ 12 ] in relation to the experiences and analyses of [ 14 ] on tangible and intangible attributes. Specifically, following the recommendation of [ 14 ]: a future festival study could use structural equation modelling to test the hypothesis that tangible attributes influence loyalty through attendee satisfaction , whereas intangible attributes influence loyalty directly (p.216). Thus, we apply structural equation modelling to find out the impact of tangible and intangible attributes on satisfaction and loyalty based on experience.

Likewise, this research is aimed at increasing knowledge on festival attendees’ perceptions and obtaining useful results for festival managers. We believe that a better analysis of the experiences and attributes of festivals clearly influence a more suitable management of these events. These two above-mentioned elements help to design the offer, distribution and sale of festivals, and allow a better understanding of the behaviour and evolution of the market, and explain the role of satisfaction and loyalty as essential elements in the competitiveness of festivals.

To this end, a structural equation model shall be used in order to discover the specific weight of each of the attributes of a festival and their relation with the variables of satisfaction and loyalty. The research is conducted on the basis of a survey on 440 attendees of the music festival Weekend Beach Festival in 2018 (WBF-2018), located on the Costa del Sol, in Andalusia (Spain).

Literature review

Attributes and experience in festival tourism.

Consumers have experienced a process that pursues the satisfaction of psychological needs, such as inspiration, authenticity and sense of belonging to a community [ 16 ]. It is also important to remember that modern-day tourists seek to be informed and demand a more personal and memorable experiential offering. Thus, companies have been forced to reconsider their business model, since only organisations which are prepared to offer an adequate consumption experience shall succeed in the market [ 17 ].

Festival attributes

Many studies have been conducted on festivals, with several of them focusing on the aspects and attributes that influence on these events. [ 18 ] analysed the influence of four festival aspects (programme, souvenirs, food and facilities) on the value perceived and satisfaction; [ 14 ] carried out a meta-analysis in which they analysed 66 festival studies and identified the existence of six key attributes that attendees perceived at these kinds of events: programme, authenticity, concessions, environment, enjoyment and socialisation. These authors propose a classification according to the tangibility and intangibility of attributes, in which programme, authenticity, concessions and environment are tangible aspects and socialisation and enjoyment are intangible.

Experience in festival tourism

One of the first definitions of experience was described as “a subjective mental state felt by visitors during service delivery” [11, p.166]. [ 19 ] understands experience as the result of a group of reflections that originate during moments of conscience. [ 20 ] considers experience as a collection of relationships between the customer and a product/company to create a comfortable sensation.

[ 12 , 21 ] proposed a consumer experience analysis framework which included four types of economic offerings: merchandise, goods, services and experiences; while the first three offerings are external, the experience solely exists in the mind of individuals; they separated service and experience from an economic perspective, creating the theory of the experience economy and identifying four areas of consumer experience: education, entertainment, escapism and aesthetics. The experiential link that a consumer may perceive depends on their participation and relationship with their environment, which result in a more intense and stronger experience [ 12 ]. Different studies have been developed on the basis of this theory, concluding that the dimensions of consumer experience are based on feeling, learning, and being and doing, respectively [ 22 ]. Lastly, [ 14 ] related the experience at festivals with the programme, authenticity, concessions, environment, enjoyment and socialisation.

Table 1 presents a list of all of the authors who have investigated these attributes (tangible and intangible) in connection with experience, satisfaction, loyalty and festival tourism.

Source: Own elaboration.

Having presented the classification of festival studies according to the type of attribute and their connection with satisfaction and loyalty, studies relating to the hypothesis proposed in this research are analysed, linking experiences with tangible and intangible attributes and thus establishing a connection between these elements. Table 2 presents the order and correspondence between experiences [ 12 ] and related attributes [ 14 ] according to their tangibility and intangibility.

In the following two sections experiences and attributes are related in accordance with Table 2 .

Tangible experiences and attributes

Entertainment and festival programme.

One of the key aspects to understand the role of experience in the analysis of festivals is entertainment, which is a crucial aspect for satisfaction and loyalty. The entertainment experience in the festival context occurs when people passively watch other peoples’ performances [ 54 ]. The attribute linked to entertainment is usually found in the festival programme [ 14 ]. In Norway the quality of a jazz concert was measured based on the choice of artists, sound quality and programme [ 40 ]. [ 8 ] measured this attribute through activities such as wine, food and entertainment; [ 3 ] evaluated an Italian philosophy festival using the topics included in the programme. Two Korean festival programmes were evaluated through aspects such as enjoyment, diversity, amazement, correct organisation and planning [ 9 , 29 ].

An example of entertainment analysis as an economic experience is the study conducted by [ 54 ]. This study was applied to a university festival in Iowa in which they identified that the different festival attributes affected the memory experienced and loyalty. Loyalty also demonstrates a connection with entertainment. [ 35 ] analysed a sporting event which confirmed the link of satisfaction and loyalty with entertainment and the competitive tournament. Bearing in mind the aforementioned studies, the following hypothesis is proposed.

• H1 Entertainment will significantly predict satisfaction with the festival.

Aesthetics and festival environment

The aesthetic experience describes the evaluation of the physical aspects, mood or environment of the festival [ 21 ]. Over the years, studies have differentiated between servicescape and festivalescape . The first term is defined as the environment or influence on consumer’s feelings and behaviour [ 62 ]. In contrast, festivalescape refers to the general environment that attendees may perceive [ 30 ]. [ 63 ] consider the environment to be the essential motivation to attend the festival. [ 30 ] highlight the importance of festivalescape on satisfaction and loyalty. Subsequently, [ 22 ] verified the existing link between aesthetics and satisfaction perceived by attendees.

Regarding aesthetics and environment, [ 14 ] find authenticity to be a festival attribute: the authenticity of the local culture, environment and food, drinks and souvenir selling points. These authors understand the environment or atmosphere to be the festival’s location. Many studies have researched the attribute of festival environments and most of them highlight the importance of hygiene, safety, accessibility and resting areas [ 9 , 15 , 33 ].

Souvenir shops and food stalls have a relevant role at festivals, leading to various studies [ 14 , 29 ]. At the Ginseng festival in Korea, [ 52 ] highlighted food and memory as significant variables. They also linked environment and accessories (souvenirs and food) with loyalty.

The aesthetic experience attribute is found in the authenticity and properties that are discovered in the town in which the festival is held [ 14 ]. At a cultural festival in Mongolia, research was conducted on the learning of the culture and the unique environment recreated [ 36 ]. [ 33 ] highlighted that floats, costumes, music and the city’s image are essential elements of the Patras carnival in Greece. At an Irani artisan festival, [ 4 ] highlighted the influence of the local staff, traditional exhibition and unique environment. Satisfaction in relation to the authenticity of festivals’ local characteristics has been approached by many authors [ 44 – 46 ]. Loyalty is also positively related to this attribute [ 6 , 50 , 55 , 56 ]. On the basis of the studies analysed, the following hypothesis is proposed:

• H2 The festival aesthetics will significantly predict satisfaction with the festival.

Experiences and intangible attributes

Education and socialisation at festivals.

The educational dimension is considered as the participants’ need to know, to experience new skills and abilities that may help intellectual and physical growth ( Table 2 ) [ 12 ]. Educational development within experiences continues to grow [ 64 ], positioning self-education as a fundamental motivation for festival attendees [ 65 ]. [ 66 ] confirm this dimension at the Sidmouth festival, which was one of the reasons for their presence. The socialisation aspect is linked to educational experience, that is, social relationships made at the festival [ 14 ]. Relations with other people, the sense of belonging and proximity were crucial to evaluate social identity [ 3 ]. [ 24 ] also relates the intangible feeling of socialisation at these events with satisfaction and loyalty. At a charity golf event, [ 59 ] identifies familiarity as a sense of belonging and a group link. On the basis of the studies analysed, the following hypotheses is proposed:

• H3 The educational experience will significantly predict satisfaction with the festival.

Escapism and enjoyment at the festival

Escapism is defined as the participants’ desire to get out of their routine where they are often stuck in, to escape reality, to live new experiences that change their routine ( Table 2 ) [ 67 ]. In [ 24 ] analysed a blues music festival in a Turkish city where attendees commented that, for them, the festival was an escape and a novel experience. The representative attribute of escapism experience is enjoyment [ 14 ].

Attendees’ pleasure or hedonism was evaluated using phrases such as: the customer was satisfied; they appreciated the feeling of escapism and enjoyed the experience [ 3 ]. The following hypotheses is proposed for this research:

• H4 The escapism experience will significantly predict satisfaction with the festival.

Satisfaction at festivals

According to (p.54) [ 68 ], satisfaction is defined as “ an evaluation based on the global purchase and consumption experience of a good or service in time ”; subsequent studies broadened knowledge on satisfaction, concluding that two precedents existed: the satisfaction of properties and information. Satisfaction of properties is explained as “ a subjective satisfaction judgement resulting from observations of the attribute performance ” (p.17) and the satisfaction of information as “ a subjective satisfaction criteria of the information used when choosing a product” (p.18). Satisfaction has not been included as an attribute in previous studies, although it has been mentioned as a key word along with festivals [ 9 ] or visitors [ 43 ].

Regarding the experience, [ 69 ] researched festival context and highlighted that satisfaction would be explained as a general evaluation of the individual’s experience at a festival. In recent years, a positive relationship is observed between satisfaction and loyalty and it is concluded that satisfaction determines attitude and the willingness to consume is a result of the experience perceived by the customer with a product or service [ 70 ]. The more the customers are satisfied with the product or service, the more they shall be willing to recommend it [ 71 ].

Loyalty at festivals and its connection with satisfaction

[ 70 ] defined loyalty as a strong commitment to buy back or endorse a consistent product or service again in the future , leading to repeat purchases of the same brand , despite influences and marketing efforts that can potentially cause a disruption and behaviour change (p. 34). According to this author, loyalty is a multidimensional concept that develops in several stages of loyalty: affective loyalty, cognitive loyalty, action loyalty and conative loyalty [ 70 ]. Loyalty can be explained from variables such as attitude or behaviour [ 72 ]. Usually, in marketing studies, loyalty has been analysed as a single construct that incorporates the aforementioned variables [ 73 , 74 ]. In this study, the measurement of loyalty was defined by adapting the [ 75 ] scale, related to the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and the tendency to repeat.

Other authors consider loyalty in festival tourism as the predisposition of users to repeat certain behaviour [ 15 ], which implies the intention to attend festivals again [ 26 ] and recommend them to others [ 49 ]. Said repetition has been analysed in the tourism field with regards to loyalty regarding specific destinations. The authors [ 76 ] adapted Best’s loyalty index to a tourist destination (Seville, Spain) taking into account the number of repeated visits to the destination [ 77 ]. According to these authors, high loyalty implies more than three visits to the same destination. However, it is not very common to study loyalty at festivals through this type of specific measures. The number of times a festival is attended is not analysed so much as the aspects that affect loyalty, the effects of loyalty and the recommendation to attend a festival.

Some studies measure loyalty as future expenses; for example, purchasing wine after attending an Australian wine festival [ 78 ] or the intention to commit to donating in order to help a cause after attending a charity festival [ 59 ]. [ 33 ] states that attendees’ intentions are directly influenced by the festival experience. Likewise, several studies that have linked satisfaction and loyalty, observed this fact in catering services [ 79 , 80 ].

In other research conducted on festivals, satisfaction is a positive precedent towards loyalty [ 23 , 81 ]; more recently, a study analysed the effect caused by the four attributes (programme, souvenirs, food and facilities) on the value perceived and, consequently, on satisfaction and loyalty. This study concluded that satisfaction and loyalty may be improved through the value perceived, since they are positively related [ 18 ]. Other studies show how emotional solidarity is directly influenced by tourist loyalty and satisfaction. A good example is the study carried out on the Cape Verde Islands, where it is shown the existence of a positive relationship between the variables [ 82 ]. Likewise, the case of the study conducted in Karkala (India) at a religious festival generates an emotional solidarity that has a positive effect on loyalty and, partially, on satisfaction [ 83 ].

• H5 The festival satisfaction will significantly predict loyalty with the festival.

Methodology

The study setting: festival description.

The study was carried out on the “Weekend Beach Festival (WBF)” held on the Costa del Sol, Torre del Mar, Spain. The festival was first held in 2014 and was one of the most cutting-edge tourism proposals on the coast of Malaga. The festival had a 67,000 m 2 enclosure with three stages just metres from the beach, hosting current national and international artists. The festival was held for four days in July and reached a record figure of 140,000 attendees in 2008; the growth experienced over recent years has been a breathtaking 42% in comparison to 2015. It is currently number 11 in the official Spanish festival ranking according to the Social Network Festival Awards 2018. The tourists’ staying in the town has increased each year until it reached 100% capacity during its celebration over recent years. 20% of attendees are locals and 80% of them come from the rest of Spain and abroad.

Research instrument

Information gathering was carried out using a structured questionnaire. It was handed out personally in bars, establishments and streets in the town of Torre del Mar, Malaga, the city in which the festival was held. A two-stage method was used to choose the sample. In the first step, the method for selecting the sample was proportional and stratified according to the attendees’ origin. In the second stage, the respondents were selected in a non-probabilistic way for convenience. This method is suitable when it is difficult to find the participants and it is equally valid [ 84 ]. Prior to the fieldwork, a group dynamic was used to explain the procedure of gathering information. Furthermore, a pre-test was taken by 20 people to evaluate their understanding of the questions.

Fieldwork was carried out from June to July 2018, achieving 440 valid questionnaires, with a sampling error of 4.7% and a confidence level of 95%. The response rate was 89%. The research we have carried out has been based on anonymous surveys that respect ethical and analytical standards in the field of social sciences and do not require the prior approval of an ethical committee, in accordance with national and European legislation.

The questionnaire does not ask about sensitive social aspects such as race, religion, sexual orientation, diseases, etc. The items are focused on the analysis of the analysis of the analysed phenomenon (festival). The funding source has not requested the analysis of any particular group. All authors respect the rules of confidentiality and ethics regarding the analysis of data and results, in accordance with national, European standards and international agreements.

In order to have a greater representation of data, a multi-stage sampling by quotas was carried out based on the gender ( Table 3 ). With regards to the respondents’ profile, 50.4% of the participants were female and 49.6% were male. Most respondents were between 20 and 24 years of age (51.8%), followed by those between 15 and 19 (23.6%).

Measurement scale of variables

The nature of the causal links is reflective [ 85 , 86 ], because they are more suitable for defining attitudinal features [ 87 , 88 ]. The constructs analysed on economical experiences (entertainment, aesthetics, and education) were measured against 4 items each one, and 3 for escapism construct, through an adaptation of the scale proposed by [ 9 , 54 ]. Satisfaction was measured against 3 items based on the consumer’s literature and their behaviour [ 74 , 89 ]. Loyalty is measured against 3 items through an adaptation of the scale proposed by [ 75 ]. The total number of items is 21. The evaluation of the constructs was estimated on a Likert scale of seven points that ranged from (1) strongly disagree to (7) strongly agree. The scale with the items used can be seen in Table 4 and the annex of Supporting information.

Psychometric properties.

Statistical analysis of the data is based on a structural equation model (SEM) to identify the specific weight of each of the attributes and their relationship with the two variables: satisfaction and loyalty. For the analysis of the model being studied, the recommendations made by [ 90 ] were followed. Additionally, STATA.15 software was used for their estimation. At the beginning, the goodness of fit of the measurement model was analysed on the basis of the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate the psychometric properties. Then, the causal relationships have been analysed on the basis of the structural equation modelling (SEM).

Analysis of the psychometric properties of the measurement model

In the following tables, the psychometric properties are evaluated using the main measures of reliability, validity and goodness and the matrix of correlations between factors.

First, in order to assess common method bias, we applied Harman’s single factor method [ 91 – 93 ]. The first factor that has been obtained by applying the exploratory factor analysis to all the variables of the model represents 29.92% of the total variance, being below the threshold of 50%.

In Table 4 it is observed that the variables of the theoretical model fulfil all of the measures of reliability. The average variance extracted (AVE) is higher than 0.5 [ 94 ], the Cronbach alpha (α) is higher than 0.7 [ 95 ] and the composite reliability index (CRI) is higher than 0.7 [ 94 ]. The measures of validity are also adequate; the coefficients of standardised loadings are higher than 0.5 and its averages are higher than 0.7 [ 96 ]; therefore, convergent validity is confirmed. This means that the items of a construct are co-related with each other [ 96 ].

The amount of variance that each construct captures from its indicators (AVE) is higher than the variance that said construct shares with other constructs in the model; therefore, the discriminating validity of the measurement model is confirmed [ 94 ]. Table 5 provides the square root of the AVE of each construct, which is higher than the correlations with other constructs in the model. With regard to the measures of goodness, the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) is appropriate, since it is lower or equal to 0.08 [ 97 ] and the Tucker-Lewis index (0.91) and the comparative fit index (0.93) are close to 1 [ 98 ]. The only indicator that does not comply is the χ 2 (480.29). However, this is not considered to be a limitation, since it is very sensitive to the sample size [ 93 ] and, frequently, the hypothesis of a good fit of the model is rejected in large samples even if it is significant [ 99 ].

Correlations among the constructs.

Note: Diagonal indicates the square root of AVE. Correlations are reported in the lower half of the matrix.

Analysis of the structural relations and hypotheses proposed

Table 6 analyses the standardised coefficients of the structural relationships of the theoretical model proposed. The ordinal data was analysed, taking in account non-normality problems. The model was estimated using maximum likelihood with Satorra-Bentler adjustments [ 100 , 101 ]. In this case, the statistical indices are robust.

*: p-value<0.1;

**: p-value<0.05;

***: p-value<0.01.

It can be observed that all of the causal relationships are statistically significant (H1 and H5 are supported). In this sense, it can be stated that a positive causal relationship exists between entertainment experience and satisfaction (β = 0.2816), aesthetics experience and satisfaction (β = 0.3675), education experience and satisfaction (β = 0.1086), escapism experience and satisfaction (β = 0.1607) and, finally, between satisfaction and loyalty (β = 0.1832). Therefore, the results show a direct relationship between the different experiences and satisfaction, as well as satisfaction and loyalty. The most intense of the causal relationships between perceived destination attributes and satisfaction occurs between the aesthetics experience and satisfaction, followed by the entertainment experience, escapism and, finally, the education experience. This SEM analysis provides empirical evidence that tangible attributes, such as entertainment and aesthetics, have a greater influence on satisfaction and loyalty than intangible attributes (education and escapism). To analyse the predictive capacity of the model, the coefficient of determination (R 2 ) has been calculated, and the results obtained are 0.39 for satisfaction and 0.14 for loyalty. Fig 2 shows the model with its respective structural coefficients.

Discussion, conclusions and implications for management

The results confirmed the impact of the different experiences on satisfaction and loyalty in the festival’s context; the results gathered, thanks to the analysis of the structural equation model, as recommended by [ 14 ], shows how tangible and intangible attributes generate satisfaction and loyalty in attendees from the experience, providing tangible attributes (programme, authenticity, concessions and atmosphere) a higher level of satisfaction. In contrast, in the study conducted by [ 54 ], on the basis of a regression analysis, a direct positive relationship is found between entertainment and aesthetics experience, and loyalty; however, this same relationship is not evidenced between education and escapism experience and loyalty; that is to say, only a relationship between tangible attributes and loyalty is found. By contrast, our research points out the existence of a relationship between tangible and intangible attributes and loyalty through satisfaction, having tangible attributes a higher impact on loyalty than the intangible ones.

The conclusions provided by this study may be used by festival organisers to discover which specific experiences and attributes generate the greater satisfaction and loyalty in attendees. This research highlights that tangible attributes are linked to entertainment and aesthetics experiences, being entertainment a key element at festivals for attendees with regards to satisfaction and loyalty.

Knowing festival audience is essential in order to identify what type of entertainment to offer. Thus, a highly-educated audience shall show more musical interest for classical music or traditional theatre [ 102 ]. In contrast, a middle-class audience shall be more interested in music such as pop, hip-hop, jazz or modern dance [ 67 ].

Adequate ground facilities, food quality, souvenirs and authenticity of the location in which the festival is held impact on the aesthetic experience. Thus, variables are deemed crucial for festival-goers and, as a result, they must be thoroughly looked after. An example of the foregoing is the Greek carnival in Patras, where the quality of the event depended on the quality of the food, drinks and hygiene of the toilets [ 33 ]. In the case of the Punggi Ginseng festival (Korea), food and memory were essential variables of the event [ 52 ]. The authenticity of the artisan Turkmen festival in Iran was based on unique products, local staff, traditional presentation and unique atmosphere [ 4 ]. Thus, festival organisers are recommended to make the most of local characteristics to boost the festival’s authenticity [ 67 ].

With regards to festivals’ intangible attributes, socialisation and enjoyment are related to the education and escapism experiences respectively. The aforementioned attributes generate a positive effect on satisfaction and loyalty, although to a lesser extent than tangible attributes. Intangible attributes and experiences are fundamental for planning festivals, once analysed the study conducted by [ 3 ] regarding socialisation and learning, in which attitudes such as the sense of belonging, concordance and identity with other customers and proximity were identified. In this sense, [ 59 ] identified the sense of belonging at a charity golf event and [ 67 ] suggested the inclusion of personal growth as a variable that increases attendance to these events.

Regarding enjoyment and escapism experience, achieving the enjoyment of festival attendees is a way of accomplishing a feeling of escapism. This topic has been discussed by various authors, some of them highlighting escapism or novelties [ 24 ]; other studies highlight the enjoyment of the experience [ 3 ] and fun [ 13 ].

Therefore, this study may be concluded with evident results. On the one hand, it has been demonstrated that the satisfaction of festival tourists has a direct impact on loyalty and that tangible attributes generate a greater influence; particularly attributes which relate to the aesthetics experience, rather than those which relate to the entertainment experience ( Table 6 ) ( Fig 2 ); therefore, the first, second and fifth hypotheses from our research are accepted. On the other hand, to a lesser extent, intangible attributes generate a positive effect on satisfaction and loyalty, having escapism experience attributes a greater influence than education experience attributes ( Table 6 ) ( Fig 2 ); thus, the third, fourth and fifth hypotheses from our research are accepted. Therefore, tangible attributes present a greater causal relationship than intangible attributes in satisfaction and loyalty, according to the analysis model analysed in this research.

The practical implications of this research highlight that event managers should prioritise entertainment experience and aesthetics experience, because they are the attributes that have the highest influence on the satisfaction and loyalty of festival goers. Moreover, these managers should not forget tangible aspects such as education experience and escapism experience, because although they influence to a lesser extent, they also present a remarkable causal relationship with satisfaction and loyalty. This is in line with other authors who have studied the relationship and satisfaction through attributes [ 73 , 74 ]. The experience of a successful activity is crucial to the long-term competitiveness of destinations [ 103 ].

Limitations and future research

When conducting this research, we came across some limitations which are discussed as follows. The festival participants studied are attendees to a current music festival (Weekend Beach Festival, WBF-2018) and, consequently, the data obtained may not be applicable to other festivals with different characteristics. With regards to creating the analysis scale, the results of the study indicate that tangible and intangible attributes only account for experiences. It would be appropriate for future studies to investigate other aspects such as emotions and experienced memories, which may be important for the analysis of affective variables. Another limitation of this study is the lack of attention paid to the interaction that visitors showed at the festival, emotional solidarity playing an important role in festival tourism, as described by the authors [ 104 , 105 ].

Likewise, no control effect has been included in the model for this study. Future research should include some control variables such as service quality, perceived value and any other variable that is considered crucial to explain the model. Lastly, research on festivals could focus on other aspects of interest such as the change in perception of festivals by new generations. In future research, emotional solidarity in festival tourism will be taken into account as a key element to better explain the behaviour of visitors and their interaction with the destination [ 82 , 105 ].

Supporting information

Funding statement.

F. Almeida-García is part of a research team that has received funds to develop this research. The research has received funding from the research projects: "Over-tourism in Spanish coastal destinations. Tourism decrease strategies". (RTI2018-094844-B-C33). Ministry of Science, Technology and Telecommunications, Spain.

Data Availability

The Role of Events and Music Festivals in Urban Tourism: Case Study

• Conference paper
• First Online: 25 November 2019
• Cite this conference paper

• Dália Liberato 9 ,
• Elga Costa 9 ,
• Pedro Liberato 9 &
• Joaquim Ribeiro 9  

Part of the book series: Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies ((SIST,volume 171))

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The city of Oporto assumes a decisive role in the North region of Portugal, as a tourism destination. In addition to the recognized material and intangible heritage, the city has been developing strategies to create partnerships with regional and national stakeholders in order to program events of different typologies, throughout the year, with benefits for the city and the region. The music festivals are one of the activities programmed with the greatest expression in the city, nowadays. The present research, integrated in a broader project, aims to highlight the importance of the programming of events. In view of this purpose, this article will discuss the need to adapt music festivals to the target audience, in order to adjust the offer with positive results at the level of behavioural attitudes of tourists, regarding the intention to repeat and recommend the event (and destination).

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School of Hospitality and Tourism of Polytechnic Institute of Porto (ESHT), Rua D. Sancho I, 981, 4480-876, Vila do Conde, Portugal

Dália Liberato, Elga Costa, Pedro Liberato & Joaquim Ribeiro

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Department of Informatics Engineering, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

Álvaro Rocha

Institute of Accounting and Admn, Polytechnic of Porto, S. Mamede de Infesta, Portugal

António Abreu

João Vidal de Carvalho

School of Hospitality and Tourism, Polytechnic of Porto, Vila do Conde, Portugal

Dália Liberato

Business Administration and Tourism, University of Vigo, Ourense, Spain

Elisa Alén González

School of Hospitality and Tourism, Polytechnic of Porto, VILA DO CONDE, Portugal

Pedro Liberato

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Liberato, D., Costa, E., Liberato, P., Ribeiro, J. (2020). The Role of Events and Music Festivals in Urban Tourism: Case Study. In: Rocha, Á., Abreu, A., de Carvalho, J., Liberato, D., González, E., Liberato, P. (eds) Advances in Tourism, Technology and Smart Systems. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol 171. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2024-2_47

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2024-2_47

Published : 25 November 2019

Publisher Name : Springer, Singapore

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Online ISBN : 978-981-15-2024-2

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Cultural Events: Case Study of a Theatre Festival as an Element of Tourist Attraction

2018, Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences

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Make time for wine! June is Ohio Wine Month. Here's what you need to know to celebrate

Do you need an excuse to visit a winery? Not really. But the Ohio Department of Tourism has one ready, just in case.

June is Ohio Wine Month, and the state tourism department compiled a list of things to do in 2024 for Ohio Wine Month (more on that below).

Here's what to know about Ohio Wine Month and how to celebrate it.

Buckeye State boasting: The highest-rated wine in the country is from Ohio

What is Ohio Wine Month?

Gov. John Kasich established Ohio Wine Month in 2012 to celebrate Ohio wines and winemakers, according to Drink Up Columbus .

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

“Ohio’s bustling wine and grape industries provide more than just great products,” said Tracy Intihar, Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) Interim Director, according to the Ohio Grape Industries Committee . “They create thousands of jobs and bring in billions of dollars to the state, in addition to providing local tasting rooms, beautiful vineyards, and top-notch food options to make memories with friends and family at Ohio’s wineries.”

Ohio's wine industry brought in $6.6 billion in economic activity, created 40,399 jobs and generated $1.9 billion in wages, according to a study conducted by John Dunham & Associates and funded by the OGIC. In 2022, the data set used for this study, Ohio winemakers produced about 1.2 million gallons of wine in a 12-month period and ranked seventh in the country for wine economic output.

What to do during Ohio Wine Month

Ohio tourism's list of 24 things to do for Ohio Wine Month has suggestions big and small, from traveling the state's seven wine trails to supporting your local winery, as well as setting up a wine and cheese night at home. Here's a look at some things to do:

Visit Ohio's five recognized regions for growing wine grapes

The term “appellation” on a wine label denotes the geographic origin of the grapes used to produce it, according to the Ohio Grape Industries Committee. To use the term on a label, 85% of that wine must be produced from grapes grown in that area.

In the United States, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau regulates viticulture (the study of grape cultivation for wine making) appellations. And Ohio has five of them , according to the committee. They include:

• Lake Erie: The Lake Erie AVA is an American Viticultural Area that includes 2,236,800 acres of land on the south shore of Lake Erie in Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania.
• Isle St. George: The Isle St. George AVA is located on North Bass Island in Lake Erie. Over half of the island is planted for grapevines.
• Grand River Valley: The Grand River Valley AVA includes portions of the Lake, Geauga, and Ashtabula counties of northeastern Ohio. 
• Ohio River Valley: Wine has been produced in this AVA since 1823. It is the second-largest wine appellation of origin in the United States with 16,640,000 acres in portions of the states of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. It is second only to the Upper Mississippi Valley.
• Loramie Creek: The Loramie Creek AVA is bordered by Loramie and Tuttle Creeks as well as state Route 47 in Shelby County. 

Phil Your Glass: Five wines from Northeast Ohio that you need to try

Explore Ohio's seven wine trails

The Ohio Wine Producers Association lists seven wine trails, each covering a certain region of the state. They are:

• Appalachian Wine Trail : According to the wine producers group, the region's deep unglaciated soils create "very favorable microclimates to ripen grapes," which are then made into distinctive wines in the tradition of the artists who made the pottery, glasswork, basketry and furniture "for which the foothills of eastern Ohio continue to be known."
• Canal Country Wine Trail : Dotted throughout the region opened to settlement by the Ohio and Erie Canal are some of the state's "most charming" wineries, according to the wine producers. "Remnants of the Canal are preserved in an area rich in history, beautiful scenery, unique cultures, natural resources and leisure activity options."
• Capital City Wine Trail : With each winery located a short drive from Columbus, the wine producers association says it is possible to visit two or three in a day and explore the unique communities that surround them.
• Ohio River Valley Wine Trail : This trail celebrates Ohio wines' rise to prominence, not once but twice. In the 1800s, Nicholas Longworth planted vines imported from Europe on hundreds of acres overlooking the Ohio River, and discovered a native variety that produced an excellent sparkling wine. By the mid-1800s, his wines were celebrated across the country and Europe, but vine disease and the Civil War ended his run. In the 1970s, the region made a comeback with the support of research from Ohio State University.
• Lake Erie Shores & Islands Wine Trail : Throughout this 'cool climate' growing district, historic vineyards and wine families who have farmed them for generations are complemented by new plantings of Rieslings and chardonnays established by entrepreneurs. Numerous soil types, deposited by years of glacial movements, provide fertile ground for great viticulture, new and old.
• Vines & Wines Wine Trail : Along the south shore of Lake Erie, through the valley created by the Grand River, this tiny parcel of land in Northeast Ohio is home to well over half of the wine grape acreage in the state. It boasts more wineries per square mile than in any other region.
• V.I.N.O. Wine Trail : The "Vintners in Northwest Ohio" represents an eclectic group of family wineries. They are just a short drive from Toledo and neighboring communities in Michigan and Indiana.

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Visit a wine festival

The Vintage Ohio Wine Festival in Kirtland on Aug. 2 and 3 bills itself as the "premier food and wine event of the year." It offers a wide selection of Ohio wines, as well as entertainment, artisans and shopping.

But it is far from the only festival happening around the state. Others include the Island Wine Festival in June and the V.I.N.O Wine Festival in October. For a full list, visit the Ohio Wine Producers Association events page .

Sample a new Ohio wine, or attend a tasting at a new winery

Expand your horizons by sampling a new wine, or your favorite style from a new winery in Ohio.

For past Ohio Wine Months, Ohio Magazine has offered a selection of new wines to try, including 7 Ohio wineries to visit in 2023 and 6 Ohio wines to try in 2022 .

Try an award-winning wine

The Ohio Grape Industries Committee has a long list of Ohio wineries that took home medals from the 2024 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, which it calls "the most prestigious in North America." More than 50 judges, representing various North American wine regions, evaluated over 5,500 wines from nearly 1,000 wineries for the competition.

The 2023 Ohio Wine Competition, held in May, was the largest one yet with 432 entries, the group says. Hanover Winery's Marquette won Overall Best of Show and Best of Ohio. For the full list of winners, click here .

Find an Ohio winery near you

The state has 320 wineries and 21 grape juice, jam, and jelly producers, according to the Ohio tourism association. If you're looking for one near you, the Ohio Grape Industries Committee offers a search engine by address or ZIP code.