Shopping and Tourism Patterns of Attendees of the Bikes, Blues & BBQ Festival

Abstract

Promoters of destinations and festivals/events need pertinent information to enhance tourists' overall experiences. This includes (but is not limited to) shopping, which increases revenues and economic activity in the host area. The purpose of this study was to identify and understand the shopping and spending patterns of those who attend the annual Bikes, Blues & BBQ festival in Northwest Arkansas. The framework has proven to be useful in improving the shopping aspect and structure of the festival industry. This is a notable and promising side effect of the exploratory study, at least from the event organizers and the state department of tourism's perspectives.