Determinants of Spending by Motorcycle Rally Visitors

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the determinants of festival spending by estimating expenditure models. This study analyzed the impact of sociodemographic and travel context factors on aggregated and disaggregated event expenditures by the visitors who attended the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally held in Sturgis, South Dakota. The results indicated that length of stay and income had a significantly positive effect on the total on-site expenditures and accommodation spending. Length of stay and past experience (among travel context variables) as well as age, income, and gender (among sociodemographic factors) had significant relationships with the on-site expenditure categories. Detailed discussions and implications were provided, and study limitations and recommendations for future studies were discussed.