Parallel Session 20, Events and Festival Planning Track: The Power of EWOM for Music Festivals in the Experience Economy

Purpose The study investigates whether a music festival may be used as an experiential attraction to draw the Gen Y market segment to a small island destination (SID) as a cohort replacement for the baby boomer generation. It is well documented that the baby boomer generation comprises a large and important market segment in travel and tourism industries (Cleaver et al., 2000; Jang & Ham, 2009; Lehto et al., 2008). As Cohort replacement and generational succession are natural progressions of social life that influence consumer markets and product development (Alwin, 2002) it is important for destinations to supplement a fading segment with a replacement generation. Destination managers must learn to attract tourists of the next generation (Gen Y) through product development and promotional strategies. Thus, it is important for SID managers to realize what types of tourism products will appeal and lure Gen Y travelers. Design/methodology/approach A total of 274 surveys were collected at a music festival occurring in Aruba. A purposive sampling technique was used to ensure that all respondents were from the Gen Y segment. The constructs used in the model include: education, entertainment, escapism, esthetics, and economic value (5E\u27s). These constructs are considered predictors of memorable festival experiences, and memorable festival experiences are considered an antecedent for Gen Y tourists\u27 eWOM for the festival and/or destination. The research hypotheses are as follows: H1: A positive relationship exists between the 5E\u27s (overall experience) and memorable festival experience. H2: A positive relationship exists between memorable festival experience and electronic word of mouth (eWOM) for the festival. The study applied a structural equation model (SEM) to test the causal relationships among the latent variables as proposed in the aforementioned research hypotheses. Findings {Table} Research limitations/implications The study is not without limitations. The results are driven by a quantitative case study analysis and should therefore be replicated in the context of different music festivals, destinations, and a larger representation of Gen Y tourists. Practical implications The original 5E\u27s in festival experience for the Gen Y framework provided the experiential domains that were necessary to create a memorable music festival occurring in SIDs. However, the original framework assessed whether a memorable music festival would influence the intention of Gen Y tourists to return and promote the festival and destination via traditional WOM. While WOM is a notable marketing asset for destination managers and festival organizers, it does not resonate with the Gen Y cohort like that of eWOM. Traditional WOM also does not provide the expansive market reach that eWOM offers to destination managers and festival organizers striving to reach international tourists by way of a cost-effective means (Bilgihan et al., 2013). Consequently, the current model, which includes eWOM as the dependent variable of interest, is deemed more appropriate for SID managers and festival organizers to reach music festival promotional goals while addressing specific market challenges of operating within a confined island economy. Originality/value This is the first study to advance the 5E\u27s in festival experience for the Gen Y segment using eWOM. References Bilgihan, A., Okumus, F., & Cobanoglu, C. (2013). Generation Y travelers’ commitment to online social network websites. Tourism Management, 35, 13- 22. Cleaver, M., Green, C., & Muller, T. (2000). Using consumer behavior research to understand the baby boomer tourist. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 24(2), 274-287. Jang, S. & Ham, S. (2009). A double-hurdle analysis of travel expenditure: Baby boomer seniors versus older seniors. Tourism Management, 30(3), 37-380. Lehto, X., Jang, S., Achana, F., & O’Leary, J. (2008). Exploring tourism experience sought: A cohort comparison of Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 14(3), 237-252. Rivera, M., Semrad, K.J., & Croes, R. (2015b). The five E\u27s in festival experience in the context of Gen Y: Evidence from a small island destination. Revista Española de Investigación en Marketing ESIC, 19(2), 95-106