A COMPARISON OF THE MOTIVES AND SATISFACTION LEVELS OF VISITORS ATTENDING FOOD AND WINE EVENTS IN THE WESTERN CAPE

<strong>Ethical clearance number: 2016FBREC355</strong> For locals in the Western Cape who routinely attend different events throughout the province, food and wine festivals have begun to become a way of life. The Hermanus Wine and Food Festival and the Cape Town Good Food and Wine Show are ranked among the top ten wine festivals in South Africa. Visitors can satisfy their cravings for exquisite wine and delicious food at this festival. This event continues to present a significant opportunity for wineries in terms of the products on display, and it also serves to inspire chefs and food enthusiasts to produce the highest-quality cuisine for the event visitors' distinctive and ever-discerning palates. Only a few studies on food events address the internal element of motivation; most studies focus on the marketing components of the event. This is especially true given the lack of studies that focus on the motives for people to attend food and wine events in South Africa. The purpose of this research study was therefore to explore, examine, and compare the motives and satisfaction levels of visitors attending two different types of wine and food-based events in the Western Cape region. A spatially-based systematic approach was used to survey 381 event visitors. Despite significant differences, the top five visitor motives for attending both events were the same: to enjoy the food, to taste wine, to relax and enjoy a different environment, to enjoy the atmosphere and spend time with friends and family, and to enjoy the live entertainment. These findings suggest that food and wine visitors attend culinary festivals for largely the same reasons. Furthermore, most visitors felt that the Hermanus Wine and Food Festival was well-organised and met all their expectations. The study’s results provide important insight into the leisure activities and levels of satisfaction of visitors to food and wine events. Marketing recommendations for attracting the right audience with the right promotional message are made to ensure that goods and services created for and promoted to these audiences satisfy their particular needs.