The Role of Perceived Quality in the Contribution of Festivals to Destination Identity: A Study on the Cappadocia Grape Harvest Festival

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of perceived quality in the contribution of gastronomy-oriented festivals to destination identity. The research was conducted within the context of the Grape Harvest Festival held in Cappadocia, one of Turkey’s prominent tourism destinations. A quantitative research design was adopted, and data were collected using a survey method. The population of the study consisted of visitors attending the Cappadocia Grape Harvest Festival, and the analyses were carried out based on data obtained from 516 participants. Structural equation modeling were employed in the data analysis. The findings indicate that festival quality has a positive and significant effect on destination identity. In addition, gastronomy-oriented festivals were found to significantly influence perceived quality, while perceived quality, in turn, strengthens destination identity. The results of the structural equation model demonstrate that perceived quality plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between festival quality and destination identity. This finding reveals that the impact of festivals on destination identity is realized not only directly but also indirectly through visitors’ quality perceptions developed during the experiential process. By addressing the concept of perceived quality within the framework of destination identity, the study provides a theoretical contribution to the festival literature and particularly emphasizes the strategic role of gastronomy-based festivals in the construction of destination identity. The results further suggest that, for destination managers and local stakeholders, focusing on experiential quality in festival organization is of critical importance in fostering a distinctive and sustainable destination identity.

Keywords

• Gastronomy Festivals
• Destination Identity
• Perceived Quality
• Festival Quality
• Cappadocia Grape Harvest Festival

Festivallerin Destinasyon Kimliğine Katkısında Algılanan Kalitenin Rolü: Kapadokya Bağ Bozumu Festivali Üzerine Bir Çalışma

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, gastronomi odaklı festivallerin destinasyon kimliğine katkısında algılanan kalitenin rolünü incelemektir. Araştırma, Türkiye’nin önemli turizm destinasyonlarından biri olan Kapadokya’da düzenlenen Bağ Bozumu Festivali özelinde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmada nicel araştırma yöntemi benimsenmiş ve veriler anket tekniğiyle toplanmıştır. Araştırmanın evrenini Kapadokya Bağ Bozumu Festivali’ne katılan ziyaretçiler oluşturmakta olup, analizler 516 katılımcıdan elde edilen veriler üzerinden yürütülmüştür. Veri analizinde yapısal eşitlik modellemesi kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen bulgular, festival kalitesinin destinasyon kimliği üzerinde pozitif ve anlamlı bir etkiye sahip olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Bununla birlikte gastronomi odaklı festivallerin algılanan kaliteyi anlamlı biçimde etkilediği ve algılanan kalitenin de destinasyon kimliğini güçlendirdiği tespit edilmiştir. Yapısal eşitlik modeli sonuçları, algılanan kalitenin festival kalitesi ile destinasyon kimliği arasındaki ilişkide kısmi aracı rol üstlendiğini göstermektedir. Bu bulgu, festivallerin destinasyon kimliği üzerindeki etkisinin yalnızca doğrudan değil, aynı zamanda ziyaretçilerin deneyim sürecinde geliştirdikleri kalite algıları aracılığıyla da gerçekleştiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Özellikle gastronomi temelli festivallerin destinasyon kimliğinin inşasındaki stratejik rolünü vurgulamaktadır. Elde edilen sonuçlar, destinasyon yöneticileri ve yerel paydaşlar için festival organizasyonlarında deneyim kalitesine odaklanmanın, destinasyonun ayırt edici ve sürdürülebilir bir kimlik kazanmasında kritik öneme sahip olduğunu göstermektedir.

Keywords

• Gastronomi Festivalleri
• Destinasyon Kimliği
• Algılanan Kalite
• Festival Kalitesi
• Kapadokya Bağ Bozumu Festivali

Supporting Institution

destekleyen kurum yoktur

Ethical Statement

Çalışma için gerekli etik kurul belgesi alınmıştır

References

1. Aaker, D. A. (1991). Managing brand equity: Capitalizing on the value of a brand name. Free Press.
2. Akkılıç, M. E., & Varol, İ. (2015). Turist algılarının davranışsal niyetler üzerindeki etkisi: Edremit Körfezi örneği. International Review of Economics and Management, 3(1), 14–38. https://doi.org/10.18825/irem.12105
3. Akyıldız, M., & Argan, M. (2010). Leisure experiencedimensions: A study on participants of Ankara festival. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences, 1(2), 25-3.
4. Attanasi, G., Casoria, F., Centorrino, S. & Urso, G. (2013). Cultural investment, local development and instantaneous social capital: A case study of a gathering festival in the South of Italy. The Journal of Socio-Economics, 47, 228-247
5. Baker, D. A., & Crompton, J. L. (2000). Quality, satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Annals of Tourism Research, 27(3), 785–804. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0160-7383(99)00108-5
6. Baloglu, S., & McCleary, K. W. (1999). A model of destination image formation. Annals of Tourism Research, 26(4), 868–897. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0160-7383(99)00030-4
7. Beerli, A., & Martín, J. D. (2004). Factors influencing destination image. Annals of Tourism Research, 31(3), 657–681.
8. Besculides, A., Lee, M. E. ve McCormick, P. J. (2002). Residents' perceptions of the –cultural benefits of tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 29(2), 303-319.

9. Bianchi, C., Pike, S., & Lings, I. (2014). Investigating attitudes towards three South American destinations in an emerging long haul market using a model of consumer-based brand equity (CBBE). Tourism Management, 44, 108–123.
10. Björk, P., & Kauppinen-Räisänen, H. (2016). Local food: a source for destination attraction. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 28(1), 177-194. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-05-2014-0214
11. Boo, S., Busser, J., & Baloglu, S. (2009). A model of customer-based brand equity and its application to multiple destinations. Tourism Management, 30(2), 219–231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2008.06.003
12. Buhalis, D. (2000). Marketing the competitive destination of the future: Growth strategies for accommodation establishments in alpine regions. Tourism Management, 21(1), 97–116.
13. Chacko, H., & Schaffer, J. D. (1993). The evolution of a festival. Tourism Management, 14(6), 475–482.
14. Chen, C. F., & Chen, F. S. (2010). Experience quality, perceived value, satisfaction and behavioral intentions for heritage tourists. Tourism Management, 31(1), 29–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2009.02.008
15. Chen, C.-F., & Tsai, D.-C. (2007). How destination image and evaluative factors affect behavioral intentions. Tourism Management, 28(4), 1115–1122.
16. Cole, S. T. & Ilum, S. F. (2006). Examining the Mediating Role of Festival Visitors’ Satisfaction in the Relationship between Service Quality and Behavioral Intentions, Journal of Vacation Marketing, 12(2), 160-173.
17. Çelik, H., & Başaran, B. (2008). Bireysel müşteriler tarafından algılanan elektronik hizmet kalitesi. Anadolu Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 8(2), 129-152.
18. Çetin, M., Demirel, H., & Çetin, K. (2019). Gastronomi konulu festivaller: Türkiye örneği. VIII. National IV. International Eastern Mediterranean Tourism Symposium, Anamur, Mersin.
19. Davras, Ö., & Özperçin, İ. (2021). The relationships of motivation, service quality, and behavioral intentions for gastronomy festival: the mediating role of destination image, Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events, 1-14.
20. Dedeoğlu, B. B. (2019). Shaping tourists' destination quality perception and loyalty through destination country image: The importance of involvement and perceived value. Tourism Management Perspectives, 29, 105-117.
21. Dedeoğlu, B. B., Balıkçıoğlu, S., & Küçükergin, K. G. (2016). The role of tourists’ value perceptions in behavioral intentions: The moderating effect of gender. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 33(4), 513–534.
22. Duman, O., Ercan, S., & Yaprak, B. (2021). Festival katılımcısı işletmelerin algılanan toplumsal fayda, algılanan toplumsal maliyet ve katılım motivasyonlarının festival memnuniyeti ve sadakati üzerindeki etkisi. OPUS – Uluslararası Toplum Araştırmaları Dergisi, 17(35), 1850-1875.
23. Earls, Z. (1993). First night celebration: Building community through the arts. Festival and Event Tourism, 1, 32-33
24. Ekinci, Y., & Hosany, S. (2006). Destination personality: An application of brand personality to tourism destinations. Journal of Travel Research, 45(2), 127–139.
25. Everett, S. (2016). Food and drink tourism: Principles and practice. SAGE Publications Ltd.
26. Everett, S., & Aitchison, C. (2008). The role of food tourism in sustaining regional identity: A case study of Cornwall, South West England. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 16(2), 150–167.
27. Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50.
28. Fredline, L., Jago, L., & Deery, M. (2003). The development of a generic scale to measure the social impacts of events. Event Management, 8(1), 23–37.
29. Gartner, W. C., & Konecnik-Ruzzier, M. (2011). Tourism destination brand equity: Dimensions and measurement. Journal of Travel Research, 50(5), 471–481. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287510379157
30. Gazeloğlu, C., & Erkılıç, E. (2020). Bilimsel araştırmalarda temel örnekleme yöntemleri. Detay Yayıncılık.
31. Getz, D. (1993). Festivals and special events. İçinde M. A. Khan, M. D. Olsen, & T. Var (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Hospitality and Tourism, (ss.789–810). New York: NY, Van Nostrand Reinhold.
32. Getz, D. (2008). Event tourism: Definition, evolution, and research. Tourism Management, 29(3), 403–428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2007.07.017
33. Getz, D., & Frisby, W. (1988). Evaluating management effectiveness in community-run festivals. Journal of Travel Research, 27(1), 22-27.
34. Getz, D., Robinson, R. N. S., Andersson, T. D., & Vujicic, S. (2014). Foodies and food tourism. Oxford, UK: Goodfellow Publishers.
35. Goldblatt, J. (1997). Special events: Best practices in modern event management. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
36. Gursoy, D., Kim, K., & Uysal, M. (2004). Perceived impacts of festivals and special events by organizers: An extension and validation of a scale. Tourism Management, 25(2), 171-181.
37. Gursoy, D., Spangenberg, E. R., & Rutherford, D. G. (2006). The hedonic and utilitarian dimensions of attendees' attitudes toward festivals. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 30(3), 279–294. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348006287162
38. Gürbüz, S., & Şahin, F. (2018). Sosyal bilimlerde araştırma yöntemleri (5. baskı). Seçkin
39. Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate data analysis (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.
40. Hjalager, A.-M., & Richards, G. (Eds.). (2002). Tourism and gastronomy. London: Routledge.
41. Ho, C. I., Liu, L. W., Yuan, Y., & Liao, H. H. (2021). Perceived food souvenir quality as a formative second-order construct: how do tourists evaluate the quality of food souvenirs?. Current Issues in Tourism, 24(4), 479-502.
42. Im, H. H., Kim, S. S., Elliot, S., & Han, H. (2012). Conceptualizing destination brand equity dimensions from a consumer-based brand equity perspective. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 29(4), 385–403. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2012.674884
43. Janiskee, J.R. (1994). Some macro scale growth trends in America’s community festival industry. Journal of Festival Management & Event Tourism, 2(1), 10–14.
44. Johnson, L., Foo, L., & O’Halloran, M. (1999). BTR occasional paper, meetings make their mark: Characteristics and economic contribution of Australia’s meetings and exhibitions sector. Canberra: Bureau of Tourism Research, 26.
45. Johnson, R. B., & Christensen, L. B. (2024). Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches. Sage publications.
46. Kapferer, J. N. (2013). The New Strategic Brand Management. Journal of Brand Strategy, 2(3), 312-313.
47. Keskin, E., & Sezen, N. (2022). Gastronomi festivalleri, yemek imajı ve destinasyon imajı arasındaki ilişkiler: Hatay örneği. Journal of Tourism and Gastronomy Studies, 10(2), 1188–1211.
48. Kim, Y. G., Eves, A., & Scarles, C. (2009). Building a model of local food consumption on trips and holidays: A grounded theory approach. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 28(3), 423–431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2008.11.005
49. Kline, R. B. (2005). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
50. Konecnik, M. (2005). Slovenia: New challenges in enhancing the value of the tourism destination brand. In N. Morgan, A. Pritchard, & R. Pride (Eds.), Destination branding: Creating the unique destination proposition. Elsevier.
51. Konecnik, M., & Gartner, W. C. (2007). Customer-based brand equity for a destination. Annals of Tourism Research, 34(2), 400–421.
52. Lee, C.K., Yoon, Y.S. and Lee, S.K. (2007), “Investigating the relationships among perceived value, satisfaction, and recommendations: the case of the Korean DMZ”, Tourism Management, Vol. 28 No. 1, pp. 204-214, doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2005.12.017.
53. Lee, I., Arcordia, C., & Lee, T. J. (2012). Benefits of visiting a multicultural festival: The case of South Korea, Tourism Management, 33, 334 –340
54. Lee, W., Sung, H., Suh, E. and Zhao, J. (2017), “The effects of festival attendees’ experiential values and satisfaction on re-visit intention to the destination: the case of a food and wine festival”, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 29 No. 3, pp. 1005-1027, doi: 10.1108/IJCHM-10-2015-0559
55. Light, D. (1996). Characteristics of the audience for “events” at a heritage site. Tourism Management, 17(3), 183–190.
56. Mossberg, L., & Kleppe, I. A. (2005). Country and destination image—Different or similar image concepts? The Service Industries Journal, 25(4), 493–503. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642060500092147
57. Murphy, P., Pritchard, M. P., & Smith, B. (2000). The destination product and its impact on traveller perceptions. Tourism Management, 21(1), 43–52.
58. Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
59. Onat, G., & Gülay, F. (2015). İnternetin sanat festivallerinde halkla ilişkiler amaçlı kullanımı: 20. ve 21. İzmir Avrupa caz festivalleri izleyici araştırması. Selçuk İletişim, 8(4), 49-72.
60. Öztürk, E., Coşkun, E., & Çelik, S. (2019). Turistlerin destinasyon kişiliği ve kalite algılarının tekrar gelme eğilimleri üzerindeki etkileri: İspanya/Endülüs bölgesinde bir araştırma. Journal of Tourism and Gastronomy Studies, 7(1), 340-357.
61. Patton, M. Q. (2005). Qualitative research. John Wiley & Sons.
62. Pike, S. (2005). Tourism destination branding complexity. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 14(4), 258–259.
63. Prayag, G., & Ryan, C. (2012). Antecedents of tourists’ loyalty to Mauritius: The role and influence of destination image, place attachment, personal involvement, and satisfaction. Journal of Travel Research, 51(3), 342–356. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287511410321
64. Qu, H., Kim, L. H., & Im, H. H. (2011). A model of destination branding: Integrating the concepts of the branding and destination image. Tourism Management, 32(3), 465–476.
65. Quinn, Rosen, D. E., & Surprenant, C. (1998). Evaluating relationships: Are satisfaction and quality enough? International Journal of Service Industry Management, 9(2), 103–125.
66. Richards, GW. (2012). Food and the tourism experience. In Global report on food tourism, AM Reports: Volume 4 UNWTO. https://www-e-unwtoorg.buas.idm.oclc.org/doi/book/10.18111/9789284414819
67. Saatcı, G., & Türkmen, S. (2020). Festivallerin algılanan etkileri, festival memnuniyeti ve festival gelişim desteği arasındaki ilişkilerin incelenmesi: Kösedere Üzüm Festivali örneği. Social Sciences Studies Journal (SSSJournal), 6(54), 76-84. http://dx.doi.org/10.26449/sssj.2019
68. Soylu, B. Ç., & Şahin, B. (2020). Destinasyon özelliklerinin ve algılanan destinasyon kişiliğinin davranışsal niyetler üzerindeki etkisi: Şirince örneği. Türk Turizm Araştırmaları Dergisi, 4(3), 2343-2360
69. Tabachnick, B. G., Fidell, L. S., & Ullman, J. B. (2019). Using multivariate statistics (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
70. Tanford, S., & Jung, S. (2017). Festival attributes and perceptions: A meta-analysis of relationships with satisfaction and loyalty. Tourism Management, 61, 209–220.
71. Uzut, İ. (2016). Turizm açısından stratejik bir kaynak olarak gastronomik kimlik: Kaynaklara dayalı yaklaşım modeli çerçevesinde bir araştırma (Yayınlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi), Akdeniz Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Turizm İşletmeciliği ve Otelcilik Ana Bilim Dalı, Antalya.
72. Wu, H. C., Wong, J., & Cheng, C. C. (2014). An empirical analysis of synthesizing the effects of festival quality, emotion, festival image and festival satisfaction on festival loyalty: A case study of Macau Food festival. International Journal of Tourism Research, 16(6), 521–536
73. Yalım, F., & Kurban, S. (2013). Kentlerde çevre bilincinin oluşturulması sürecinde bir halkla ilişkiler aracı olarak festivallerden yararlanılması: İstanbul ecofeste katılanlar üzerine bir araştırma. Selçuk İletişim, 7(4), 81-93.
74. Yolal, M., Gursoy, D., Uysal, M., Kim, H. L. & Karacaoğlu, S. (2016). Impacts of festivals and events on residents’ well-being. Annals of Tourism Research, 61, 1-18.
75. Yoon, Y. S., Lee, J. S., & Lee, C. K. (2010). Measuring festival quality and value affecting visitors’ satisfaction andloyalty using a structural approach. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 29(2), 335–342.
76. Yorgancı, B. (2023). Destinasyonda sürdürülebilir rekabet üstünlüğü açısından gastronomik kimlik: Kapadokya örneği (Yayınlanmamış Doktora Tezi), Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Gastronomi ve Mutfak Sanatları Anabilim Dalı, Nevşehir.
77. Zabkar, V., Brencic, M. M., & Dmitrovic, T. (2010). Modelling perceived quality, visitor satisfaction and loyalty at a tourist destination. Tourism Management, 31(4), 537–546. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2009.06.005
78. Zeithaml, V. A. (1988). Consumer perceptions of price, quality, and value: A means–end model and synthesis of evidence. Journal of Marketing, 52(3), 2–22.
79. Zocchi, D.M. and Fontefrancesco, M.F. (2020) Traditional Products and New Developments in the Restaurant Sector in East Africa. the Case Study of Nakuru County, Kenya. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 4, Article ID: 599138. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2020.599138