Comparison of visitor motives for food & wine events in the Western Cape, South Africa

Purpose – This study analyses the motives of visitors to two food and wine events in the Western Cape, South Africa. Its purpose is to enhance the ongoing success, sustainability, and distinctiveness of these culinary events in comparison to alternative leisure and entertainment activities. Methodology/Design/Approach – A spatial systematic approach was used to survey 680 event visitors. Visitors self-completed the structured questionnaires with mostly closed-ended questions. Findings –Preliminary results suggest that visitors to food and wine events come for largely the same reasons. More detailed analyses revealed that food and wine event visitors place more importance on certain factors, suggesting that the visitors will have different leisure behaviours and needs in terms of event product requirements. Originality of the research – The findings help identify visitors to food and wine events in the Western Cape, allowing for targeted marketing and tailored event offerings. This increases the precision and effectiveness of marketing and supports the successful development of future events. The study provides valuable insights into the motivations for attending South African food and wine events, adding to the existing literature, which can also help to ensure the continued success, competitiveness and sustainability of these events in the region.