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Festivals’ social impacts and emotional solidarity

Nisan Yozukmaz (Pamukkale Universitesi, Denizli, Turkey)
Serkan Bertan (Pamukkale Universitesi, Denizli, Turkey)
Serap Alkaya (Pamukkale Universitesi, Denizli, Turkey)

International Journal of Event and Festival Management

ISSN: 1758-2954

Article publication date: 13 March 2020

Issue publication date: 5 May 2020

1855

Abstract

Purpose

Interactions between local people and guests/visitors are the main elements of tourism experience. And local festivals, considered as a significant part of festival tourism, are quite important in this context. Though many studies have been conducted about interaction between local residents and guests tourists, emotional solidarity remains as a concept which has not yet been studied much in tourism literature on local festivals. The aim of this study is to examine emotional solidarity in tourism festival literature and to determine the relationships between perceptions of local people related to social impacts of festivals and emotional solidarity they feel for guests/visitors.

Design/methodology/approach

In line with this purpose, a quantitative approach was adopted, and 19th weaving, culture and handicrafts festival held in Buldan was chosen to be studied as it is an important festival for local people dwelling in Buldan, Denizli province located in Aegean Region in Turkey. The study data were obtained through questionnaire method conducted with Buldan residents during the 19th festival (June, 28th–30th, 2019). The sample was determined with random sampling method.

Findings

The data were analyzed via factor and regression analyses. As a result of factor analysis, social impacts of the festivals were grouped under 6 factors (under 3 subfactors of social benefits: communal benefits, cultural–educational benefits, social unity benefits; under 3 subfactors of social costs: concerns related to social resources, concerns related to life quality and concerns related to social order).

Practical implications

Local people's perceptions of social impacts of festivals must be determined in order to find their impacts on emotional solidarity, and deficiencies must be remedied. Local governments who organize festivals to invigorate local economies usually try to attract more visitors with the purpose of maximizing economic impacts of festivals, and this is done without placing much importance on the social problems and social change that may arise in the future (Crandall, 1994).

Originality/value

Relationships were determined between emotional solidarity and residents' perceptions towards social and cultural–educational benefits as well as their concerns related to social resources and life quality.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This study is supported by Pamukkale University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Department (BAP 2018HZDP049).

Citation

Yozukmaz, N., Bertan, S. and Alkaya, S. (2020), "Festivals’ social impacts and emotional solidarity", International Journal of Event and Festival Management, Vol. 11 No. 2, pp. 239-253. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEFM-11-2019-0054

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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