Sustainability of a national arts festival

Abstract

With more than 600 annual South African festivals to choose from, the ongoing sustainability of established festivals is uncertain. The rationale of sustainability usually rests on what renewable social, economic and cultural benefits the festival offers the community. However, changing visitor characteristics and economic difficulties putting more strain on the disposable income of households compel organizers and marketers to rethink their strategy in order to ensure the sustainability of festivals. This novel and exploratory study utilized a multistage DEA model to identify the presence of tendencies to overspend and budget mismanagement exhibited by visitors at the Innibos National Arts Festival. By identifying the sources of these inefficiencies, this study was able to formulate a framework that can guide organizers and marketers to develop price discounts or package combos that will ensure greater satisfaction which is a vital contributor to sustainability. The results accentuated the need to tailor these package combos to both male and female attendees, with the emphasis on improving satisfaction by limiting the tendencies to overspend that relate to paying for entrance fees, food and drinks.