African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure (May 2018)
Festivals as a Niche for Local Economic Development (LED): A Case Study of the East London Port Festival (ELPF), Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Abstract
Across the globe, festivals attract significant interest in both the developing and developed economies. Festival tourism can be used as a tool to boost the local economy and has the potential to aid in the seasonal, geographic and demographic spread of tourism. The contribution of tourism to the development of local regions is prolific, as it creates jobs and stimulates the economy. Examples of festivals around the world are the Bristol Harbour Festival in the United Kingdom, the Rio Carnival in Brazil, and the Vodacom Durban July and the Grahamstown National Arts Festival in South Africa. Festivals have the potential of injecting economic, social and environmental (triple-bottom line) benefits. Therefore, this study examines how festivals can usher in new economic development opportunities for tourism destinations. Both quantitative and qualitative research approaches were employed in the study. Primary and secondary data sources were consulted to understand the phenomenon. Purposive sampling was utilised to collect data. The findings of the study show how festivals can potentially become an economic development driver for tourism destinations. This study contributes to the underresearched area of festival tourism. It provides a foundation for further studies to be conducted in the Eastern Cape Province, which suffers from high levels of poverty. It is hoped that the study will provide a foundation for event organisers, local municipality decision-makers and other stakeholders for the planning, promotion and presentation of future festivals.
