INTRODUCTION
The Western Cape province in South Africa has established itself as a highly sought-after destination among diverse categories of travellers and remains a prominent contender in the global tourism industry (Van der Westhuizen, 2023). This assertion is further supported by the numerous accolades and awards it has garnered over the years. Notably, in 2016, Cape Town was bestowed the prestigious title of being the world’s top food city according to Condé Nast’s Reader’s Choice Awards (Invest Cape Town, 2022). Recent achievements also include the recognition of several bars and restaurants in Cape Town as being among the finest 100 establishments worldwide (Peyper, 2022). These commendations, in conjunction with the Western Cape’s rich historical heritage, untarnished natural landscapes, diverse cultural tapestry, and Mediterranean climate, have attracted various niche markets and special interest groups, notably the culinary enthusiasts (Hattingh & Swart, 2016).
The rise in the prominence of celebrity chefs and the widespread influence of the Food Network have contributed to a surge in the popularity of food and wine events, which increasingly captivate culinary enthusiasts (Smith et al., 2010). These individuals actively seek out interactive experiences, such as demonstrations and cooking lessons, as a means to engage with their culinary interests (Getz & Robinson, 2014). Recognised as home to some of the world’s finest wine destinations (Vollmer, 2023), the Western Cape naturally stands out as a region where culinary events and festivals flourish.
Most of the research relating to food and wine events however deals with marketing aspects of the event and only a few deals with the internal variable of motivation (Weiler et al., 2004; Yuan et al., 2005). Specifically, a notable gap exists pertaining to the exploration of motives underlying individuals’ attendance at food and wine events, with particular emphasis on the South African context. Saayman (2011) asserts that food and wine events, being special in nature, exhibit a multitude of unique features that differentiate them from one another. This inherent heterogeneity arises from the fact that each event presents its own distinct program contents and offers diverse experiential elements. As a result, event organisers must possess a deep understanding of the underlying motives that compel individuals to attend a particular event. Such insights are crucial for enhancing the accuracy of event marketing efforts and ensuring their effectiveness in reaching the target audience.
The purpose of this paper was therefore to explore, examine, and compare the motives of visitors attending two different types of food and wine events in the Western Cape region in South Africa. Understanding the motives of visitors attending food and wine events plays a crucial role in the long-term viability of such events, as it offers valuable insights into the content that should be incorporated into the event program. By understanding visitors’ motives, event organisers can tailor the event’s offerings to align with their expectations, ultimately enhancing their overall satisfaction with the event experience. Given the
Western Cape’s reputation as one of the ‘World’s Leading Festival and Events Destinations’ (Invest Cape Town, 2022), this knowledge is pivotal in ensuring the continued success and sustainability of food and wine events in the Western Cape and can be employed as a strategic approach to distinguish culinary events from the multitude of competing leisure and entertainment options in the Western Cape region, thereby fostering a competitive advantage.
The concept of food in tourism has evolved from traditional hospitality to a new concept called “food tourism,” in which food is increasingly used to promote a place (Chang & Yuan, 2011). Food tourism research, as stated by Everett (2019) has evolved during the last twenty years. It is no longer just about food tourism in various locations but is now recognised as a valuable tool of knowledge generation. According to Chang and Yuan (2011), food consumption forms an integral part of and is a highly important element in influencing the development of destination marketing and regional tourism. Added to this, Tikkanen (2007) claims that agro-tourism, wine tours, and the sale of food products as souvenirs are some of the ways that food and travel are regularly integrated.
Understanding the significance of food as a primary visitor motivation suggests more opportunities for improving destination desirability (Smith et al., 2010), especially as competition among destinations is high with them aiming to give tourists top- notch experiences and products (van Niekerk, 2014). This includes regional topics for the development of agro-tourism, cultural tourism events, food as a sub-event within a mega-event, food stalls as a representation of the personality of a location, and food events as a basis for sustainable tourism. In the tourist sector, food is viewed as an attraction, a component of products, an experience, a cultural phenomenon, and a link between travel and food production (Tikkanen, 2007). Chang and Yuan (2011) believe it is noticeable that food tourism can significantly enhance visitor experiences, assists the destination’s aggressive marketing approach, and demonstrates that food is valued as a primary resource, luring travellers specifically for the unique food products on offer. Topole et al. (2021) found that local cuisine plays a significant role in luring visitors to these occasions, which offers a chance to promote the area and its cultural history. Du Rand et al. (2003) conclude that food is part of the tourism offering and is primarily seen as a supportive appeal and, to a minor degree, one of the main attractions in South Africa. They further argue that food can support the marketing of food tourism in a destination that has the resources but not using its capability linked to food tourism.
Wine tourism is defined by Hall and Sharples (2003, 9) as “a trip to vineyards, wineries, wine festivals, and wine exhibits for wine tasting and/or experiencing the characteristics of a region.” According to Yuan et al. (2005), wine tourism is a type of special interest tourism (SIT) that links the wine and tourism industries. As a result, wine tourism has become a significant and growing segment of SIT (Yuan et al., 2005). Santos et al. (2019) found that genuine experiences that are increasingly distinct and personalised have been made possible by wine tourism. The availability of wine tourism sites that strategically and successfully support the ongoing attraction and retention of domestic and international wine tourism operators is what gives rise to these interactive experiences. Weiler et al. (2004) point out that despite regional wine events frequently drawing sizable crowds to wine regions and fostering a sense of community among the regions and their wineries, they have received little to no attention in the majority of wine tourism research. Food and wine tourism covers many culinary and wine-experiencing opportunities for visitors, as well as various economic development plans (Everett & Slocum, 2012). As mentioned by Smith and Costello (2009), the unique food and wine products that are available in a region are a major draw for travellers, and the food and wine tourism markets are recognised as a subset of the broader tourism industry. Culinary tourism is the term used by Sohn and Yuan (2013) to describe a broad attraction to food and wine that may include the products but is also reliably linked to interest in the various components of food and wine as well as the cultures and settings that create them. In both domestic and international markets, culinary tourism can serve as a representative in a destination’s marketing plan (Park et al., 2008). Culinary activities encompass a range of food-related pursuits, such as eating out, attending food festivals, factory tours, farmers’ markets, educational seminars, and visiting farms (Smith et al., 2010).
Food events are becoming recognised as attractions in and of themselves because of the Food Network’s rising popularity and the celebrity chef trend (Smith et al., 2010). Wine tasting is a sensory experience, which accounts for why there is an increasing amount of multisensory studies on the subject (Brochado et al., 2021). Food and wine events are described as “a unique, quick event with a concentration on food and drink, usually taking place near a wine region” (Yuan et al., 2005:43). Additionally, visitors actively participate in wine festivals as special occasions to satisfy their enthusiasm for wine or to experience the satisfaction made possible by other leisure activities (Yuan et al., 2005). Many people go to food and wine events to sample the food and drink and/or see how high-quality food and wine are produced (Park et al., 2008). Because they provide an environment that fosters enhanced excitement and wine expertise, food and wine events are crucial for luring younger, high- potential wine customers (Yuan et al., 2005). Food and wine events are currently organised in many different places across the world as a form of tourism (Park et al., 2008). Park et al. (2008) add that food and wine events offer a variety of tourist experiences in addition to creating acceptable locations for individuals who are drawn to food and wine, as well as offering a fun-themed ambience and a distraction from everyday routine. Food and wine events have the power to build regional food economies, support the protection of food and biodiversity, and help reinforce local identities while offering tourists a variety
of physical experiences (Chang & Yuan, 2011). Smith and Costello (2009) discovered that food was the main draw for the majority of attendees to a culinary event and suggested that local businesses use food and wine events to promote their area by using them as an image-building tool.
Most food and wine events, as noted by Park et al. (2008), are organised in well-known tourist attractions to attract visitors who probably would not normally visit a winery. Many locations hold food and wine events to market the area as a tourism destination, highlight the appeal of nearby restaurants or vineyards, raise awareness of specific food and wine styles, and provide educational opportunities while raising brand awareness and brand loyalty. As a result, these events produce knowledge and spark interest, which may lead to an increase in the consumption of food and wine (Park et al., 2008). Food and wine events highlight a location’s cultural, educational, and recreational resources, which significantly enhances the local food and wine industry (Park et al., 2008). Brochado et al. (2021) found that the value of the culinary component of wine tourism further enhances the visitors’ experiences. Yuan et al. (2005) state that wine and food events attract a sizable number of visitors to a wine region, help foster loyalty to the region and its particular vineyards, and give visitors a chance to sample all the wines and foods from that region in one location. Some visitors may travel to the venue in search of a food and wine experience as well as other relaxing activities.
As this study identifies the reasons why visitors go to food and wine events, given the current gap that exists in relation to research on food and wine events generally, and within a South African context in particular, the following section focuses on the motives of event visitors found in previous studies.
A person’s conduct is stimulated, directed, and integrated by a motive, which is an internal component (Iso-Ahola, 1980) and is usually the primary indication of the activity done to fulfil a need and meet expectations (Kreitner, 2008). The action that motivates visitors to attend an event could be seen as the realisation of a need that has to be satisfied (Saayman, 2011). One of the key components of festivals or events is motivation, which has attracted a lot of attention since the early 1990s (Nongsiej & Mothilal, 2019). As found by Crompton and McKay (1997), the reasons why people go to an event serve as the initial push for their decision- making, which emphasises the significance of understanding motives. Yolal et al. (2019) found that the motivational elements that influence event attendance may vary depending on the demographics of the attendees. As a result, event organisers should think about appealing to several event markets. Su et al. (2020) found that there were three push elements (taste of food, socialisation, and cultural experiences) and three pull factors (essential aspects of food tourism, traditional foods, and local destinations) to demonstrate the multi-dimensionality of food travel motivation. Therefore, marketing and promotion strategies should be in line with the target markets they are meant to reach as the event’s success depends on innovative and cooperative initiatives between event organisers, local companies, and public agencies (Yolal et al., 2019). Various new markets, including food markets, are sprouting up in both business and tourist cities. They want to provide tourists who are looking for fresh culinary, creative and cultural experiences with a variety of possibilities (Castillo-Canalejo et al., 2020).
The literature review reveals a wide variety of research conducted on the motivations of visitors to attend or travel to events. As seen in Table 1, the most common motives are represented as escape, novelty, socialisation, and family togetherness. These results confirm that the conduct of this type of research is important. According to each event and researcher(s), there are a variety of motivational variables but overall, they all had similar motives. The only distinctions were the motivational variables specifically related to the type of event or leisure activity. According to Kim et al. (2002), visitors’ reasons for visiting a food and wine event may vary based on where in the world they come from. For the event organisers to use successful marketing techniques to promote and enhance the event, Chang and Yuan (2011) believe that understanding visitors’ reasons for attending a particular food event is valuable. Thus, event planners could plan the programme and event offerings to fulfil visitors’ expectations by determining their needs (Egresi & Kara, 2014). Van Vliet (2021) found that it is evident that when all the aforementioned elements are present, the decision to attend a festival can be broken down into a complicated set of explanatory factors that interact with one another (motivation, demography, lifestyle, mood, relevance, willingness, and opportunity/ability are taken into account). In the congested festival scene, it is the responsibility of the event planner to provide the right triggers to entice people to their festival.
Through the literature that was reviewed, it has become apparent that motives have a strong link to marketing the event and that there are multiple reasons why people from around the world go to food and wine events. For this reason, food and wine event organisers must understand their market and what motivates people to attend to enable the marketing of the event accordingly. It is also important for the organisers to understand these factors as they will contribute to the type of programme that they will offer visitors and the level of satisfaction that the visitors will experience at the event. To guarantee that visitor demands are met, it is crucial to consider motives when creating a marketing strategy. To accomplish this, the organisers must understand why attendees come to the event and what they can change, if there is a need to change anything.
Table 1: Previous Research Conducted on the Motivations of Visitors to Attend or Travel to Events
RESEARCH CONTEXT
The research aimed to encompass a diverse range of products and visitors, and to achieve this, two culinary events in the Western Cape Province were specifically chosen. The selected events included the Hermanus Wine and Food Festival (HWFF) and the Cape Town Good Food and Wine Show (CTGFWS). By focusing on these particular events, the study sought to incorporate a broad spectrum of offerings and participants within the culinary domain.
Hermanus Wine and Food Festival
In 2022, Hermanus was ranked the 41st Most Loved Destination in the World, according to the Tourism Sentiment Index (Wesgro, 2022). Another accolade bestowed on the town of Hermanus in 2019 was the Gastronomic Town of Africa, by UNESCO, one of 10 places in the world to receive this award as part of the UNESCO Creative Cities programme (Hermanus Wine Tours, 2022). Promotional material describes the town of Hermanus as the ideal location for an unforgettable experience with its breathtaking scenery and unparalleled scenic beauty (Hermanus, 2022).
According to The Wine Village, the host of the HWFF, Hermanus Pieters is credited for “discovering” Hermanus for the first time when he arrived in Cape Town in 1815 (Wine Village, 2019). Thousands of local and international tourists visit the beautiful seaside village of Hermanus each year, which is famous for whale watching (Hermanus Tourism, 2019). The HWFF takes place annually in August over three days at the Curro Private School in Hermanus (Wine Village, 2019). Hermanus is located about 120km from Cape Town, the location of the second food and wine event, CTGFWS, which is described next.
Cape Town Good Food and Wine Show
The CTGFWS was the brainchild of Fiera Milano Exhibitions Africa (Rade, 2015). It used to take place annually in Cape Town, in the Western Cape Province of South Africa at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). The CTGFWS was positioned as “South Africa’s premier food, wine and lifestyle event” and attracted over 350 exhibitors that showcased their latest innovative products and culinary trends, as well as exciting live shows and interactive demonstrations hosted by international celebrity chefs (Good Food and Wine Show, 2015). At the time of data collection, the CTGFWS was in its 16th year.
This study applied a quantitative research method by means of self-administered structured questionnaires with mostly closed- ended questions. A spatially based systematic sampling technique was employed. This approach involves choosing people from a population in a preset order (Leedy & Ormrod, 2005). This sampling strategy guarantees that the results accurately reflect the population (Zikmund et al., 2013). For the HWFF, the field workers were physically situated at the festival-delimited area at the Curro Private School in Hermanus. For the CTGFWS, field workers were placed at the entrances and exits of the CTICC. As visitors came through the entrance gates, the fieldworkers randomly selected the first person to pass by them and following that, selected attendees at equal intervals (every fifth person) to distribute the questionnaire to.
The HWFF was anticipated to attract approximately 5 000 visitors (P. du Toit, personal communication, June 29, 2016). For each defined population (N) of 5,000, a sample size of 357 is advised to reach a 95% level of confidence (Sekaran, 2000). A total of 393 questionnaires were distributed, and 381 were completed, returned, and were eligible to be used for data analysis, yielding a response rate of 97%. The CTGFWS was anticipated to attract approximately 25 000 visitors (L. Wiese, personal communication, June 9, 2015). A sample size (n) of 378 is recommended (Sekaran, 2000) to achieve a 95% confidence level. However, only 316 questionnaires were distributed of which 300 questionnaires were completed, returned, and were eligible for data analysis which equates to a 92% confidence level and a 95% response rate.
The Questionnaire
The questionnaires were developed by adapting them from the survey instruments that were used at other festival-type events such as Aardklop Festival in Potchefstroom (Van Heerden, 2003), Free State Arts Festival in Bloemfontein (Strydom et al., 2006), and the Mother City Queer Project in Cape Town (Hattingh et al., 2011). The questionnaires were structured in sections that examined the demographics of the participants and motives for attending the events. A Likert-type scale was used to gauge how satisfied the visitors were with the statements, asking them to indicate whether they fully agreed = 5, agreed = 4, remained neutral = 3, disagreed = 2, or totally disagreed = 1. They were asked to rank 13 motivational elements on an ordinal scale, with 1 being the most salient and 13 the least essential, to determine their reasons for attending the events.
Data Analysis
The data from the 680 completed questionnaires were coded, captured and analysed, using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 28 to present the descriptive statistics. More specifically, as this is a comparative study of two or more groups, the Pearson Chi-squared and ANOVA tests were used to compare the two data sets to ascertain if there were statistically significant differences between the datasets.
The HWFF attracted almost equal split of female (40%) and male (51%) attendees which could be because this is a family event, as can be seen in Table 2. As for the attendance of the CTGFWS, 70% were female attendees versus 30% male attendees. The vast difference in the results could be because of the two events, the CTGFWS had a greater focus on the food and kitchenware, and as a result, had more kitchen equipment for sale and the opportunity for attendees to meet celebrity chefs as well as see live cooking demonstrations. The HWFF had less focus on kitchenware for sale and more focus on the relaxed family-friendly environment that included the opportunity to taste new types of food and wine with entertainment that included bands instead of cooking demonstrations. This could explain why more females than males were attracted to the CTGFWS.
Furthermore, for the HWFF, 42% of visitors were between the ages of 21 and 30 years, 31% were between the ages of 31 and 40 years, and 10% were between the ages of 41 and 50 years. The younger demographic accounted for 11% of respondents aged
18-20 years, while the more mature demographics of 51-60 years and 61 years and over accounted for 4% and 1%, respectively. It is clear from the data that the bulk of the visitors for the HWFF was from the 21–30 and 31–40 years age groups. It is important for the organisers to make sure that their offerings cater to the needs of this market and that they specifically target this market when promoting the event. The 21–30 years age group is most likely students or those who have just entered the job market and are looking for new, fun activities to do over a weekend as well as to travel. The 31–40 years age group could be working professionals with disposable income as well as young families. This event catered to the needs of a family and could explain why there were so many visitors in this age bracket. This information is similar to that of Krajíčková and Šauer (2018) who found in their study of the PivniFest Pilsen hosted in the Czech Republic that attendees in the 20–29 and 30–39 years age brackets accounted for 40% and 32% of the festival visitors, respectively. A similar result was found in the study done by Castillo-Canalejo et al. (2020) in their study in which they segmented tourists visiting food markets and also found that the majority of the attendees were under the age of 30. Their respondents under this age constituted 73% of their study, with those between the ages of 30-39 and 40-49 years being 9% and 8.3% of the respondents, respectively. These findings also correspond to those of Brochado et al.’s (2021) study on wine tourism that more attendees were male (58%) than female (42%), 77% of the attendees were 35 years and above with 23% being in the age range of 18 – 34 years.
Table 2: Visitor Demographics
Gender
Age
Province of origin
Source: Authors’ construct
When compared with the age of the attendees from the CTGFWS, attendees in the 21–30 years age group made up 42%, which is the same as the HWFF, whereas those in the 31–40 years age group accounted for 20% of the attendees. The reason for this could be because all the events in Table 1 have an element of entertainment which is what entices the younger crowd. However, because the attendees are relatively young and in the youth age bracket, Dodd et al. (2006) state that the younger attendees are more focused on enjoying the holistic experience of the event. As noted by Park et al. (2008) and Hattingh and Swart (2016), over recent years younger people have been attending food and wine festivals, possibly because the need to follow new trends or events has attracted the age group of 20–30 years (next generation) to the CTGFWS and HWFF.
Most of the HWFF visitors were in a relationship (36%), while most of the CTGFWS visitors were single (38%). Interestingly, as much as these categories provided the lowest percentage for the marital status of the respondents, their motives for attending the festivals ranked similarly to that of the majority of the respondents. These findings were similar to the findings of Krajíčková and Šauer (2018) in their research of the PivniFest Pilsen, where they found that 39% of the respondents were single and the Valtice Wine Markets where 28% of the visitors were in a relationship and the findings by Brochado et al. (2021) with 70% of their respondents being in a relationship and only 5% being single.
The research findings of the HWFF show that 28% of the visitors had a bachelor’s degree; 26% had a diploma and 18% had completed high school or lower. Visitors attending the event who had an honours degree represented 14% of the respondents, those with a master’s degree represented 10% and those with a doctoral degree represented 3% of the visitors. This was slightly different from the visitors attending the CTGFWS; 34% had a diploma, followed by 24% of visitors with a bachelor’s degree and 22% had completed high school or lower. This is important because both these events have an element of education in how they display and present their food and wine, especially in the form of providing new knowledge to the visitors about the different types of food and wine showcased at the event. The level of education of the attendees then suggests that they are learned individuals who understand the basis of events like this, not only for entertainment purposes but for educational reasons as well. Ungerboeck (2022) concurs by stating that over the past decade, there has been a shift in the reasons why people attend events. Not only do they attend events because of the right location but they attend events to mingle with the right people and to expand their knowledge. This implies that the participants of this study were individuals of high acumen and were able to make a valuable contribution to the research.
For both events, students represented the majority of the visitors at 26% and 21% respectively, which correlates with the result of the majority of the visitors being between the ages of 21–30 years. This is surprising given that older, higher-income individuals consume the most wine overall, so there is every reason to believe that wine events will draw these demographics (Grybovych et al., 2013). It is clear from the findings that the majority of the visitors (82%) of the HWFF came from the Western Cape, with 4% each coming from Gauteng and the Free State provinces, 3% from outside of South Africa’s borders (Australia, Botswana, France, Germany, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates), 2% from the Eastern Cape and 1% each from the North West, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo provinces. Foreign visitors were not asked why they were at the festival, but the assumption can be made that they were in the area while on holiday and that they did not specifically visit South Africa to attend the HWFF. When compared with the data of the CTGFWS, the findings are very similar to those presented by the HWFF. The majority of the attendees (87%) at the CTGFWS also came from the Western Cape, which shows, as with the HWFF, that the majority of the attendees came from the Western Cape and the marketing attracted those living within the same province to the event.
Most of the visitors to the HWFF were white (45%), 26% were African, 25% were mixed race, 2% were Indian, 1% were Asian and 1% were unwilling to answer the question. These findings differ slightly from those of the CTGFWS, where most of the visitors were mixed race (38%), 36% were white, 22% were African and 4% were Asian. Information like this is invaluable to an organiser when designing an event, for the organiser to know who the target market is so that they can satisfy visitor expectations. Although for both events there was a dominant race that attended each, there was still an overall mix of races that attended both events and it would therefore be advisable when marketing to market generically across the spectrum and not target a specific race group. This is especially important in a South African context where event demographics have changed over the years, attracting more diverse audiences.
Motives for Visiting the HWFF and a Comparison With the CTGFWS
On an ordinal scale, with 1 being the most important motive and 13 being the least important motive, visitors were asked to rank the 13 motives that were provided to them. Two scores were calculated for this question for each event, as can be seen in Table 3—the mean score and the standard deviation (SD). Sykes et al. (2016) define the mean as the most common measure of central tendency, referring to the average value of a set of numbers. Furthermore, Saunders et al. (2009) describe the SD as the measure of how much a data value deviates from the mean.
The means of each motive were calculated to examine the significance of the scores, and the motives were ranked based on their mean scores. The most important motive is indicated by the lowest mean score, with the least important motive being the motive with the highest mean score.
From Table 3, the five most important motives for visitors to attend the HWFF can be observed. Only the five main motives to attend both events will be discussed in further detail in this paper. The most important motive to attend the HWFF was to enjoy the food (mean = 5.03), whereas the most important motive for visitors to attend the CTGFWS was wine tasting (mean = 4.28). The finding from the HWFF supports previous studies on similar topics by Topole et al. (2021), who found that one of the three main motives for visitors to attend the five culinary events that they studied was local cuisine. Also, Castillo-Canalejo et al. (2020) found in their study on food markets that the number one motive for attendees to visit a food event is to eat their favourite food. It is clear when looking at the literature that enjoying food is a common thread among the studies researched to date (Table 1). The assumption could be made that attendees want to experience something new and different, hence being motivated to attend an event where they will have the opportunity to taste a variety of food from exhibitors and enjoy demonstrations by chefs.
Table 3: Motives for Visitors to Attend the HWFF and CTGFWS
Source: Authors’ construct
The second most important motive for attending the HWFF was wine tasting (mean = 5.20). This motive corresponded with the top motive by Krajíčková and Šauer (2018) in their study of the Valtice Wine Markets where they found that the main motive for people to attend was to taste wine. Castillo-Canalejo et al. (2020) found that another main motive was to drink their favourite wine. Equally, this finding supports those of Park et al. (2008) in their study of the South Beach Wine and Food Festival with the major factor motivating first-time visitors to attend being to taste wine. Furthermore, Dodd et al. (2006) found that one of the reasons why young people go to wine festivals is for wine tasting. Having the opportunity to taste not only a variety of food but also wines means that the assumption could be made that visitors found this to be a motivator because they would be exposed to new labels, taste new wines, enjoy new experiences and be able to make informed decisions about their wine choices in the future based on what they have tasted and learnt at the event. When compared with the findings of the CTGFWS, the second most important motive was the enjoyment of food (mean = 4.47).
‘To relax and enjoy a different environment’ was the third most important motivator for attendees visiting the HWFF (mean = 5.31) and the CTGFWS (mean = 5.14). This finding supports that of Hattingh (2018) in his study on leisure audiences that also found this motive to be one of the most important. As both events are for leisure purposes, it is not surprising that similar results were found. Similarly, Van Vliet (2021) states that one of the four generic factors that describe the motivations for festival attendance is a novelty. It is not surprising that this was one of the main motivators. In general, life is rushed and most people experience the same routine every day. To enjoy a different environment is a form of escapism and the opportunity to relax and enjoy time with family and friends as evidenced next.
The fourth most important motive found to attend the HWFF and the CTGFWS was to ‘enjoy the atmosphere & spend time with family/friends’ (mean = 5.53 versus mean = 5.21). This result supports findings from previous research on similar topics where it was found that enjoying the atmosphere and spending time with family/friends was an important motivator in attending (Dodd et al., 2006; Park et al., 2008; Saayman, 2011; Krajíčková & Šauer, 2018; Nongsiej & Mothilal, 2019; Castillo-Canalejo et al., 2020; Hattingh, 2021; Van Vliet, 2021). This motive ties in with the third motive mentioned above. It can be assumed that visitors to events like this enjoy getting out, enjoy spending time with family and friends and enjoy socialising, especially in a different environment to their home environment.
The fifth most important motive to attend the HWFF and the CTGFWS is to enjoy the live entertainment/chefs (mean = 5.61 versus mean = 5.53). This finding supports that of Hattingh (2018) and Hattingh and Niekerk (2020; 2022a; 2022b) on leisure audiences in which entertainment was one of the most salient motives for attendance. The assumption could be made that visitors want to learn and they want to enjoy live shows that they otherwise would have watched on subscription TV, as an example. This motive ties into the first motive discussed, to enjoy food as attendees want to taste new experiences and learn new things that they will be able to incorporate into their daily lives at home while enjoying food.
To test for significant differences in visitors’ motives for attending the HWFF and CTGFWS, further statistical analyses were required. The variance within and between means for groupings of data (categories) was examined using ANOVA, which is represented by the F ratio or F statistic (Saunders et al., 2009). When the F statistic is large and the probability is lower than 0.05, the variance is statistically significant (Saunders et al., 2009) (Table 4).
CTGFWS visitors rated several motives significantly higher than HWFF visitors ( p<0.05). ‘For wine tasting’(4.28), ‘to enjoy the food (4.47), ‘to increase food and wine knowledge (7.46), and ‘for free giveaways’ (8.18) were all significantly more important to CTGFWS visitors, while ‘to meet people with similar interests’ (6.83), ‘the event’s uniqueness’ (7.87), ‘a reason to visit the town for the weekend’ (7.92), and ‘boredom’ (8.39) were significantly more important to HWFF attendees. Although the top five motives to attend both events are the same, upon closer analyses, it appears that visitors to food and wine events place more importance on certain factors. This finding suggests that leisure behaviours as well as needs in relation to product requirements and reactions to promotional messages will differ. Therefore, to effectively attract food and wine visitors, different marketing strategies and promotional messages will be required for different visitors to food and wine events.
Table 4: ANOVA for Comparisons of Motives for the HWFF and CTGFWS ( n = 680)
CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Several locations host food and wine events to promote a specific area or location as a tourism destination, increase the popularity of nearby vineyards and restaurants, and foster appreciation for locally grown food and wine. Knowing the motivations behind attendance at food and wine events enables organisers to better meet visitors’ needs and expectations. However, comparing visitors’ motivations for attending different events is still a relatively new field of study. This is especially true given the dearth of studies that focus on the reasons people attend or participate in food and wine events in South Africa.
This study marks one of the first attempts to compare visitors’ motives for attending food and wine events in South Africa, and in the Western Cape region specifically. Despite significant differences, the most salient visitor motives for attending both events were the same: to enjoy the food, to taste wine, to relax and enjoy a different environment, to enjoy the atmosphere and spend time with friends and family, and to enjoy the live entertainment. These findings initially suggest that food and wine visitors attend culinary events for largely the same reasons. Further statistical analysis revealed that visitors to food and wine events place a greater emphasis on particular motives. This finding provides an important event marketing implication. Different visitors will have different leisure behaviours and needs in terms of event product requirements.
Several marketing techniques and promotional messages will be needed for various visitors to draw food and wine visitors efficiently. The promotional message, including imagery and ad copy, should match the most salient motives for attending an event, e.g., an opportunity to relax, enjoy food, wine and live entertainment in a different environment with family and friends. In addition, as visitors to the HWFF regarded the event’s uniqueness and the opportunity to visit the town of Hermanus for a weekend more important than the CTGFWS, it could prove useful to include these needs in the event’s promotional messages. Event organisers should take advantage of the possible synergy between these factors by establishing a fun-themed ambience where attendees can unwind and indulge their passion for food and wine while getting away from their regular lives. Utilising this newly acquired knowledge as a strategic approach enables the differentiation of culinary events from numerous alternative leisure and entertainment options in the Western Cape region. This, in turn, cultivates a competitive advantage for such events as well as contribute to a sustainable events portfolio for the destination.
In conclusion, this paper makes a noteworthy contribution to the extensive literature on arts, hospitality, and leisure. The research findings have the potential to facilitate the identification of food and wine event visitors in the Western Cape Province, thereby enabling organisers of similar events to customise their marketing strategies and event offerings in a more targeted manner. Consequently, these findings have the capacity to enhance the precision and effectiveness of marketing efforts for food and wine events, ultimately supporting the successful future development of related events. As a result, this study serves as a valuable addition to the existing body of knowledge concerning the motivations underlying individuals’ participation in food and wine events, particularly within the context of South Africa.
Limitations and Recommendations for Further Research
Comparing the most important motives of first-time visitors versus repeat visitors as well as exploring socio-demographic differences in motivations could provide further insight for event marketers. Future studies can investigate the motives for exhibitors to exhibit at food and wine events, and if their objectives were met. As the profile of food and wine event visitors in the Western Cape may not be typical of those to other destinations, further research with different samples of food and wine event visitors is recommended. This study should, therefore, be replicated (and adapted where required) at a selection of other destinations popular among food and wine visitors. A more thorough comparison of the motivations for food and wine lovers to different destinations would then be possible. Furthermore, future studies can also use qualitative approaches like interviews and focus groups to study more in-depth reasons for attending a particular event due to the limits of solely quantitative research.
REFERENCES
tourists. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(7), 1-13.https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17072312
International Conference on Events - ICE2021 (pp. 173-190). Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Faculty of Business & Management Sciences.
Project. African Journal for Physical, Health Education, Recreation and Dance, 17(3), 380-398.https://doi.org/10.4314/ajpherd.v17i3.71090
Invest Cape Town. (2022). Awards & Accolades. Retrieved April 13, 2023, from
https://www.investcapetown.com/why-cape-town/awards-accolades/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20World’s%20Top%2010%20Most%20Loved%20 Cities%20(CNN,Lifestyle%20Destination%20(Ethisphere%2C%202015)
177.https://doi.org/10.5937/turizam23-22766
event. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 11(1), 17-35.https://doi.org/10.1080/15280080903520584
South African Dental Journal, 71(6), 274–278.
sustainability. Acta Geographica Slovenica, 61(1), 107-126.https://doi.org/10.3986/AGS.7617
Vollmer, B. (2023). Stellenbosch shines as 5th Best Wine Destination in the world . Retrieved June 27, 2023, fromhttps://www.iol.co.za/travel/south-africa/western-cape/stellenbosch-shines-as-5th-best-wine-destination-in-the-world-9250daed-ee6f-4eeb-b343-0e7cf8b03cd6
https://files.core.ac.uk/pdf/907/36963992.pdf
Wine Village. (2018). About Wine Village. Retrieved May 13, 2018, fromhttps://www.winevillage.co.za
Yolal, M., Özdemir, A., & Batmaz, B. (2019). Multidimensional scaling of spectators’ motivations to attend a film festival. Journal of Convention & Event Tourism, 20(1), 64-83.https:/doi.org/10.1080/15470148.2018.1563012
Journal of Vacation Marketing, 11(1), 41-58.https://doi.org/10.1177/1356766705050842
Please cite this article as:
Van Zyl, L., Hattingh, C. & Swart, K. (2023). Comparison of Visitor Motives for Food & Wine Events in the Western Cape, South Africa. Tourism and Hospitality Management, 29(4), 609-621, https://doi.org/10.20867/thm.29.4.11
