Traditional costume experience at a cultural heritage festival

Abstract

The experience of traditional costumes on palace grounds is a unique phenomenon of cultural heritage tourism in South Korea. This study investigated the impact of the experience of the traditional Korean costume, Hanbok, on festival satisfaction. Based on the theoretical background, five dimensions of festival experiences were derived: playfulness, escape, placeness, togetherness, and sacredness. The proposed model was empirically tested in a field study with 374 respondents participating in the Royal Culture Festival held at the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Seoul, Korea. The regression analysis showed that all five dimensions of festival experiences had a statistically significant impact on festival satisfaction. This study affirms that the Hanbok experience plays a key moderating role in the relationship between four of the five dimensions of festival experiences and festival satisfaction. Detailed academic and managerial implications are provided.