Structural Relationships between Tourists’ Festival Experience, Local Brand Awareness, Local Loyalty, and Purchase Intention of Agricultural Products: Focusing on Participants of Hampyeong Butterfly Festival and Chrysanthemum Festival

The purpose of this study was to analyze the structural influence of tourists" festival experience on local brand awareness and local loyalty, and purchase intention of agricultural products. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, an online survey was conducted with visitors to the Hampyeong Butterfly Festival and Chrysanthemum Festival in 2018 and 2019. Using structural equation modeling, study results show that individuals’ festival experience had an effect on their local brand awareness and local loyalty, the local loyalty influenced the purchase intention of agricultural products, and the local brand awareness affected the purchase intention of the local agricultural products through the local loyalty. Study implications are as follows. First, in order to increase local brand awareness and local loyalty, it is necessary to reinforce the distinctive elements of the festival experience. Second, festival programs recognized as a unique brand asset can help visitors forma positive image of the region. Third, the experiential marketing strategy of local agricultural products through local festivals can be effectively used to build trust with visitors for local agricultural products. It is meaningful in revealing that individuals’ participation in local festivals is beneficial to the purchase intentions of agricultural products.