Cultural Event: The Kite Festival On The Uttarayan Day

While tourism has a long history of use as a tool for regional development, events and festivals are a more recent policy option (Murphy, 2007). Indeed, today’s events, especially cultural events, are considered to be a great deal and have grown tremendously during recent years (Kwiatkowski, 2015). That is precisely why nowadays events take a vital part in the economic planning and tourist development of many regions and cities (Gratton, 2000). Since the very first groundbreaking study by Turco (1992), assessing the 1985 Adelaide Grand Prix, studies about the environmental impacts of cultural events have been significantly growing.

According to a widespread belief, hosting a mega-event is still promoted as being extremely positive since it is said to create new jobs, flush millions of dollars into the community’s empty coffers and strengthen the economy of the host region. It is generally accepted, that events may also have the potential to create benefits that are not directly measurable in terms of money such as creating a certain civic pride among residents of the host region or ‘putting a city on the map’. Nevertheless, as experience teaches, the main argument for justifying funds of public nature are the expected benefits that events are perceived to create, by making use of various factors such as economic, political, environmental, etc. (Dwyer, 2005). However, the question of whether the corresponding massive investments that undoubtedly have to be made, are justified and in turn entail a positive economic outcome, which has yet to be answered. Although there have been many attempts in event-related literature during the past twenty years to shed some light on this particular issue (Getz, 2012), the results still remain controversial and researchers are considerably debating about the most appropriate methodology for evaluating any kinds of events, since a substantial number of results from studies is said to be biased (Crompton, 1995).

Well, events are considered as challenges and strategic tools for developing specific effects for governments or private institutions (Evans, 2001). Therefore, during the last decades, there has been an increased interest in analyzing the factors, for creating an impact on the events (Crompton & McKay, 1994). According to Douglas and Derrett (2001), “The success of a festival or event is commonly measured in terms of its economic contribution to event stakeholders, community and region”; in former words, “Events are increasingly and primarily being regarded as generators of financial benefits” (Snowball, 2008).

The observance of any event and participation in festivals or broadly termed as celebratory events is an increasingly significant aspect of customer experience. Because, participants of these events seek an enjoyable and memorable experience through social interactions and performances as they find themselves in a different space and time (Picard and Robinson, 2006). However, leisure marketing literature provides a very little guidance on event experience and how event marketers and managers could increase their customers’ satisfaction with an experiential model. In this sense, the purpose of the paper is to study the different factors affecting or creating an impact on the participants of Kite Flying Festival in India. Also different types of model will be explained in this study, and also new recommendations for that model, which could be the change to crack the current obstructing issues.

The Kite Festival is an annual event celebrating the coming of the spring, held in India, especially in the western city called as Ahmedabad. In Gujarat, many people can easily take note of the ecstatic festive spirit not only on the Uttarayan day but even a couple of days preceding the festival. It is an enjoyable event for the children, families or students who gather themselves as a participating group in the morning to late evening to celebrate the spring season, by flying a kite in the sky and performing different kinds of traditional dances and songs. The festival ground is large enough to support a stage for concerts and shows, food areas and several sponsor attractions. These events offer service for the society to benefit from spring festivals, art festivals and cultural activities which can be regarded as a part of certain project-based events. The participation of people in these events enables them to brand even the destination.

There are various factors that affect or create an impact on the event and its destination. The paper will be studying these factors and will try to focus on its ongoing model to make this festival a huge success in the international kite flying market. Also, it further shows some recommendations to the model, that have created an impact on kite flying festivals and also how the destination is today recognized.