LOCAL FOOD FESTIVAL: TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FOOD TOURISM EXPERIENCE

Local food festivals are interesting tourist attractions that have a significant impact on creating a destination's image. This study aims to assess the perceived festival service quality attribute and identify the factor structure of perceived festival service quality. Data were collected from a sample of 94 visitors to the 17th Asparagus Festival held as a one-day event in April 2017 in Lovran (Croatia). Descriptive statistics and factor analysis were performed to analyze the collected data. The research finding indicate a relatively high level of festival service quality. Four festival quality factors (information adequacy and program, food, staff, facilities) were identified. This study provides interesting findings that will assist festival organizers in developing and implementing service strategies to increase quality and image and enhance the emotions and satisfaction of attendees in order to attain their loyalty towards local food festivals.