Investigating Residents and DMO’s Co-Creation Relationship: The Case of Co-Organizing a Medieval Summer Festival

Abstract

The value of co-creation among destination stakeholders is becoming an increasingly popular tool for creating unique tourism products and preserving local cultural values and identity. The main purpose of this study was to investigate what factors determine residents’ satisfaction with the process of co-creating a traditional cultural event with a local destination management organization (DMO). To conduct a survey of residents, a questionnaire was developed that included four main concepts: satisfaction with the co-creation, the role of the DMO in the co-creation process, the importance of the event to local food and wine and personal attachment to the event. An explanatory Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with Oblimin rotation was performed. The findings suggest that the DMO’s central role in the co-creation process and the importance of the event to a local food and wine are significant predictors of the residents’ satisfaction with co-creation. However, a personal attachment to the event did not prove to be a significant predictor of overall satisfaction with the co-creation process. By exploring, in detail, the inner thoughts of a destination’s key stakeholders, it is possible to improve the co-creation process and ultimately create greater value for all involved.