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Splashy Fen Music Festival: Comparative Summary Report 2007 - 2012. Wayne Tifflin Karen Kohler Tourism KwaZulu-Natal July 2012. Objectives. To determine the profile of visitors to the Splashy Fen music festival in Underberg from 2007 to 2012.
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Splashy Fen Music Festival: Comparative Summary Report2007 - 2012 Wayne Tifflin Karen Kohler Tourism KwaZulu-Natal July 2012
Objectives • To determine the profile of visitors to the Splashy Fen music festival in Underberg from 2007 to 2012. • To determine what factors influenced their decision to attend this event. • To ascertain their travel and activity patterns over the period of this event. • To determine their perceptions of the overall organisation of the event. • To determine the overall impact of the event.
Methodology • 286 face-to-face interviews based on a set questionnaire. • Probability sample design. • Stratified allocation by day. • Respondents randomly selected. • The survey was conducted from the 6th – 8th of April 2012.
Positive Findings for KZN • 84% would attend this event again • 99% rated the event as good or excellent • 98% would recommend the event to friends and relatives • 99% would recommend KZN as a tourist destination to family and friends • More respondents stayed for 4 (43%) and >4 (17%) nights when compared to 2011. • 96% were satisfied with information provided to them.
Visitors’ Residence Z Test Analysis: A Z-test of two independent sample proportions revealed that there was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of KZN visitors when comparing 2011 and 2012. There was also no significant difference in the proportion of Gauteng visitors between 2011 and 2012.
Visitors’ Age A Z-test indicated no significant difference in the proportion of respondents who fell within the ages of <20-40 when comparing 2011 and 2012. However there seems to be more <20 year old attendees in 2012.
Average Group Size Group size has increased when compared to 2011. This may be due to attendees sharing camping facilities and transport.
Main reason for visiting area where event took place A Z test revealed a statistically significant decline in the number of respondents who visited the area specifically for the Splashy Fen event between 2011 and 2012. There was also a significant increase in respondents who visited the area for business and holiday purposes and attended the event as an add-on in 2012 when compared to 2011.
Length of Stay: Average Nights A Z-test of two independent sample proportions revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of respondents whose length of stay were 3 nights when comparing 2011 and 2012. Although there was a percentage increase in 4 and >4 nights, it was not significant. The increase in staying longer may be due to the value for money in staying for 4 or more nights.
Accommodation A Z test revealed no statically significant change in the number of respondents who camped in 2012. Most of the respondents camped at the Splashy site. As there were many students the cost of staying in a commercial establishment may have been prohibitive. Also the headlining bands of the event performed at night so travelling out to accommodation at night and then back again in the morning was not an ideal situation.
If Splashy Fen was not your primary reason for visiting the event, did you plan your visit to coincide with the event? Only 7 respondents indicated that the event was not their primary reason for being in the area. This number is too small to derive any statistical significance .
Transport to Event: Transport to the event was predominantly by private vehicle. There was an increase in the use of rented vehicles in 2012. Due to the remote location of the event private or rented vehicle were better suited than public transport.
What Influenced you to attend? Word-of-mouth was the most significant factor influencing people to attend the event as has been the case previously. This was followed by attended the event previously.
Satisfied with information? A Z test revealed no statistical increase in the number of respondents who were satisfied with the information received regarding the event in 2012.
Did you attend previously? A Z-test of two independent sample proportions indicated that there was a significant difference in the proportion of respondents who attended the event previously when comparing 2011 and 2012. This is positive for the event as it is and indication of attracting new attendees. But what about those who did not attended again? The experience of the event is important for the 31% who are first-timers and also in light of those who are undecided about attending the event again in the next slide.
Attend again? A Z test showed that there was a significant decline in the number of respondents who would attend the event again compared to 2011. This was possibly due to the high number of respondents who attended for the first time.
Experience Rating A Z-test of two independent sample proportions revealed that there was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of respondents who had ‘excellent’ and ‘good’ experience between 2011 and 2012 events. 98% of the respondents had an excellent or good experience. In spite of 20% having experienced a problem, this augurs well for the event.
Experience Problem? A Z-test of two independent sample proportions indicated a statistically significant difference in the proportion of respondents who did experience problems at the event when comparing 2011 and 2012. As indicated in the previous slide, 98% had an excellent or good experience. It seems as though experiencing a problem and enjoying the event does not impact on each other. Respondents seem to enjoy the event irrespective of some of the problems they may have had.
Recommend the Event to Family & Friends? There is no statistical change in respondents recommending the event when compared to 2011. The event is still considered a worthwhile event to recommend to family and friends. Due to a high number of respondents (98%) having an excellent or good experience of the event this impacts on their willingness to recommend the event.
Reasons: Recommendation The reasons for recommending Splashy Fen were related to the event having the following characteristics as perceived by the respondents: • Awesome event/experience • Family event • Scenery and setting • Fantastic music • Superb event/fantastic festival • Good for relaxation, socializing and time out • Different experience • Camping • Good event for youth and kids • Laid back event • Weekend to ‘lose control’/free spirit
Recommend KZN as a Tourist Destination to Family & Friends? Respondents are willing to recommend KwaZulu-Natal as a destination. Their experience of the event and in the destination impacts on their willingness to recommend the province.
Reasons for Recommending KZN The following were noted as reasons for recommending KZN as a tourist destination: • Good wildlife • Drakensberg • Good weather • Natural attractions • Culture and good music • Whole world in one province • Great beaches • Great getaway • Nice people • Laid back The following issues were noted as reasons for not recommending KZN as a tourist destination: • Better other places in other provinces • Other provinces have more to see than KZN
Characteristics or Images of KZN • The beach/coastline • Good weather/hot weather/sunshine • Zulu culture/people/warriors • Heritage/culture • Wildlife • Friendly people • Durban beachfront • Adventure • Friendly people • Drakensberg • Greenness • uShaka Marine World • Landscapes • Lakes/rivers • Diverse cultures • Indian culture • Sharks rugby team • Kingdom of the Zulu
Atmosphere of KZN • Relaxed/chilled/laid back mood • Calm/cool/peaceful • Cheerful • Festive/holiday • Friendly/welcoming • Fun/happy/joyful • Party/vibe • High energy/vibrant • Diversity • Exciting • Family orientated
Unique Attractions • Battlefields • The Beach • Bushman paintings • Botanical gardens • Drakensberg • Cathedral Peak • Durban beachfront • Hluhluwe Game Reserve • St Lucia Wetlands Park • Suncoast Casino • Crocodile park • Midlands/Midlands Meander • Game reserves • Moses Mabhida Stadium • Valley of 1000 hills • South Coast • Howick falls • uShaka Marine World • Nottingham Breweries • Oribi Gorge • Zulu Culture • Florida Road • Gateway Shopping Centre
Familiar with TKZN’s Slogan? A Z –test revealed a statistically significant increase in the respondents who were not familiar with TKZN’s slogan in 2012. This was because a new brand was introduced in 2011.
Noted TKZN logo? A Z test revealed a statistically significant decline in the number of respondents who noted the TKZN logo in 2012. This was because of the introduction of a new logo in 2011.
Where TKZN logo noted? The TKZN logo was most noted at the airport and at the event. This is a indication that the below the line advertising strategy is working due to the decline in noticing the logo on billboards and brochures.
Total mean individual spend? The mean spend has decline slightly when compared to 2011. However it is higher than any of the previous years. The general increase can be attributed to the increased cost of travelling which includes petrol and accommodation .
Total spend breakdown * No margin of error of mean **Low estimate of margin of error of mean at 95% confidence level ***High estimate of margin of error of mean at 95% confidence level ****Accommodation was included in the ticket price. Increased expenses were on transport and souvenirs. The price of tickets would increase annually. The cost of petrol was high at this time and there may have been more variety in terms of souvenirs to buy.
Estimated economic impact (2008 to 2011) Estimated direct tourism spend taking std error into account Estimated total spend with a multiplier of 1.42, taking std error into account Although there were more attendees in 2012, their spend was slightly less than in 2011. This was because of the lower spend in 3 of the 5 categories., viz. transport, souvenirs and tickets.
Main Findings/Conclusions • The majority of respondents (99%) indicated they would recommend KZN as a tourist destination to family and friends as they were of the view the province has the following elements: • Good wildlife • Drakensberg • Good weather • Natural attractions • Culture and good music • Whole world in one province • Great beaches • Most of the respondents are from KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. This is true for KwaZulu-Natal’s domestic tourism market as well. • The majority of respondents fell within the ages of 21-30 and 31-40. These seem to be the dominant age groups of Splashy Fan spectators when analyzing the results of previous years. These results thus provide an indication that the festival appeals mainly to such age groups. This also helps to direct the marketing of the event. • There was a small but statistically significant increase in the <20 years of age respondent. This possibly means that Splashy is attracting a younger attendee.
Main Findings/Conclusions (cont’d) • As per the trend, the large proportion of respondents during 2012 were in the area specifically for attending the festival as shown by 95% of respondents who indicated had visited the area specifically for the event. This fact, together with the age group of 21-30 years old, gives an indication that the event is the main attraction for drawing this age group to the area. It would be good to ask if the event was not held would they have come to this area at any other time anyway? • There was a significant increase in the proportion of respondents whose average length of stay was 4 and >4 nights when comparing 2011 and 2012 suggesting they stayed for a longer period. Overall, previous research shows that people stay mainly for an average of 3 and 4 nights for the event which is positive as the event usually takes place over a four-day period. • The main form of accommodation continued to be camping at the farm suggesting that very few people opted to stay at establishments around the area. This suggests that few accommodation establishments around the area benefited as a result of the event. This also gives an indication that because most of the respondents were students they would not have been able to afford commercial accommodation. Also it would have been inconvenient to travel every morning and evening from the farm to their accommodation because the best artists usually perform in the evening.
Main Findings/Conclusions (cont’d) • Some 47% and 48% of respondents were influenced through word-of-mouth and previous attendance, respectively. Most people then make a decision to attend Splashy because they heard about it or they have been previously. This then makes the experience at Splashy of utmost importance, because attendees decisions are not only based on advertising, but also personal communication. • 96% of respondents were satisfied with information provided regarding the event. This was information that was provided in various media such as radio, posters/flyers, the internet and newspapers/magazines. This possibly means they (respondents) knew what the event was about, artists that would perform and what to bring, etc. The latter would have been influenced also by the existing knowledge of the event through previous attendance as mentioned previously. • Respondents continued to indicate their intention of attending again as shown by 84% of them that said they would attend the event in future while 12% did not know. This was a statistical decrease compared to 2011. This maybe because there was a high number of respondents (31%) who attended for the first time and thus where not sure if they would attend again. This may be as a results of respondents only wanting to experience the event and not necessarily wanting to attend every year.
Main Findings/Conclusions (cont’d) • In addition to the above points, a large proportion of respondents had a positive experience at the event as shown by 56% and 41% who had an ‘excellent’ and ‘good’ experience, respectively. This suggests a positive relationship between positive experience and intentions of visiting again. • The event continued to attract new people as shown by 31% of respondents who were attending the event for the first time. In relation to the above point, this augurs well for the future of the event as 97% of the respondents had an ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ experience. • About 20% of respondents experienced problems which was a significant increase from the 2011 event. This suggests that more effort needs to be applied in addressing the problems experienced in 2012. The main problems that were cited in 2012 were: • Theft/crime • Loud car boot music - Lack of clean toilets • It was positive that 98% of the respondents said they would recommend the event to family and friends as they were of the view it had the following attributes: • It was a fun event/experience • Family event • The setting of the event is good • Fantastic music
Main Findings/Conclusions (cont’d) • About 50% of the respondents had noted the Zulu Kingdom logo while 37% were familiar with the Zulu Kingdom slogan which they mainly associated with : • KZN and the promotion of the province (17%) • Zulu history/heritage/culture/monarch/King Shaka (30%) TKZN had introduced a new logo and slogan in May 2011. Thus the recognition of these elements of the brand is not well known as yet. • KZN is known for the beach, culture, sunshine, friendliness, the mountains, wildlife and scenery. These aspects were highlighted when respondents were asked about the characteristics and attractions of the province. KZN provides a relaxed, chilled, calm, holiday atmosphere for it visitors.
Recommendations The issues which respondents raised were not new - they had been raised in previous years. Recommendations were made on these issues in previous research. Again the main issue which was raised in 2012 was theft/crime. In this regard, it is recommended that the event organizers consider the following: • Need to encourage more attendees from other provinces. • Employ more security personnel to walk around during the night. • Ensure that there are enough toilets and that they are clean.