Critical success factors influencing visitor attendance for a literary Arts festival in Stellenbosch

Abstract

The Stellenbosch University Word Festival (SUWF) is the largest literary arts festival in South Africa. Its example has encouraged the development of similar festivals throughout the country. The SUWF occurs annually during the first week of March and lasts for ten days, attracting learners, students, and adults of all ages. The festival celebrates the Afrikaans language, though it extends to other languages that relate geographically or historically to Afrikaans, such as Dutch. At the Festival, the word in context is celebrated in as many art forms as possible. Since its establishment in 2000, the festival has shown a significant increase in popularity and visitor attendance. Yet thus far, little is known about the critical success factors (CSFs) affecting visitor attendance and how these influence the motives and perceptions of visitors. Little is known about the profile of a literary arts festival visitor. This knowledge is important insofar as it can assist festival management with ensuring the festival’s success and sustainability. This study employed a quantitative study design. Screening questions identified the target group selected for the study, which comprised males and females attending the SUWF above 18 years of age. The data was gathered through the Simple Random Sampling data collection technique. Fieldworkers utilised a self-administered questionnaire for the purpose. The data was then processed via the quantitative research software package, Statistical Programme for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25, at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). Factor analysis was used further to investigate the relationships among perceptions, motivations and CSFs affecting visitor attendance. The analysis identified six constructs for studying the interrelationships among variables. The constructs that had the most effect on visitors’ experience included: 1) basic festival attributes such as value for money, venue spacing and adequate infrastructure; 2) the internal festival experience, such as variety in programme content, convenient event setting and adequate safety and security; and 3) the external festival experience, including sufficient support services and amenities, excellent customer service, and the experience of appropriate marketing media to attract visitors. Other constructs that influenced visitor satisfaction and reflected the level of service at the festival were 4) details of infrastructure, convenience of access, and food and beverage services; 5) the internal festival experience, including technology (electronic ticketing and payment), the experience of culture and arts, and designated smoking areas; and 6) the external festival experience, which extended to general ambiance, hygiene, and traffic. These appear to be the factors that will ensure the SUWF’s sustainability and afford it a competitive advantage over other arts festivals in South Africa and globally.