Understanding urban festival attendees’ involvement in Hong Kong dragon boat festival

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of involvement, satisfaction and festival attachment on urban Dragon Boat Festival (DBF) attendees’ future intentions. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 307 participants of the Hong Kong DBF using a survey instrument. Data was analysed using a series of analytical tools including factor analysis, structural equation modelling and bootstrap mediation. Findings Results indicate that festival attendees’ involvement and satisfaction directly influenced future intentions with the DBF, but this was not the case for festival attachment. Consequently, satisfaction is a key puzzle piece for understanding why DBF attendees may not revisit despite a positive attachment to the DBF. Research limitations/implications The study draws implications for DBF promotion as an urban cultural event. Originality/value This study sheds light on the key drivers of attendees’ future intentions among both residents and tourists to urban festivals. A noble contribution to knowledge in this regard is that attachment alone is not sufficient to induce loyalty among DBF patrons. Essentially, satisfaction is a vital element for repeat visits. The study also makes important distinctions in determining elements of attachment.