Segmentation of Visitors to Contribute to the Sustainability of a Cultural Festival in an Emerging Country

Abstract

This study examines the factors influencing satisfaction and intention to visit the Loja International Living Arts Festival (Festival Internacional de Artes Vivas Loja), by analysing the visitors' sociodemographic variables, media sources for festival information, and recommendation and evaluation variables. We used cluster analysis to segment a sample of 314 festival attendees, and then, we investigated the differences between the different profiles of attendees. The research contributes to the Theory of Planned Behavior by exploring which factors are significant in the decision to attend cultural events. The findings demonstrate the impact of both internal and external factors on recommendation and evaluation, with communication channels playing a significant role in influencing these factors. By identifying the sociodemographic profiles of attendees and the influential media sources, this study highlights the importance of developing well-informed guidelines tailored to specific attendee groups to ensure the sustainability of cultural festivals in emerging countries like Ecuador.