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1 This article was downloaded by: [North West University] On: 17 July 2014, At: 23:27 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: Registered office: Mortimer House, Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: The Influence of Travel Motives on Visitor Happiness Attending a Wedding Expo Stefan Kruger, Melville Saayman & Suria Ellis Published online: 15 Jul To cite this article: Stefan Kruger, Melville Saayman & Suria Ellis (2014) The Influence of Travel Motives on Visitor Happiness Attending a Wedding Expo, Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 31:5, , DOI: / To link to this article: PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the Content ) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at

2 Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 31: , Taylor & Francis ISSN: print / online DOI: / THE INFLUENCE OF TRAVEL MOTIVES ON VISITOR HAPPINESS ATTENDING A WEDDING EXPO Stefan Kruger Melville Saayman Suria Ellis ABSTRACT. Events are an important motivator in travel and tourism, therefore contributing to related benefits at the tourism destination. This study presents the findings of a structural equation model used to investigate the factors that motivate visitors attending a Wedding Expo and how these travel motives influence their happiness. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to visitors attending the Wedding Expo in Johannesburg, South Africa. The data from 375 (N) eligible questionnaires was captured and analyzed using SPSS. From the study s findings, managerial recommendations were made with the aim of maximising the happiness of visitors attending the Wedding Expo. The study found that satisfaction with life and happiness of visitors attending a Wedding Expo is enhanced more by the event s attributes/attractiveness and enhancement of kinship/relationship than by the event s novelty. The research contributes to the literature related to events management, happiness, and marketing management in tourism. KEYWORDS. Events, travel motives, satisfaction with life, happiness marketing INTRODUCTION Special events are categorized as leisure events, cultural events, organizational events, and personal events (Shone & Parry, 2004). Like all other events, special events have numerous benefits: They contribute to job creation, generate revenue, build the image of a destination, add to a destination s product offering, and address seasonality, to name but a few (Saayman & Saayman, 2005). As events are an important sector of the tourism industry, destinations compete to host such events (Kruger, Saayman, & Ellis, 2010). The Wedding Expo is an annual event that takes place at the Coca- Cola Dome in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is the leading wedding event in this country, attracting an excess of 15,000 visitors (The Wedding Expo, 2012a). The Wedding Expo is a special event consisting of a large public exhibition and trade, representing wedding venues, couture, photography, catering, publishing, and décor (The Wedding Expo, 2012b). Since a wedding is one of the biggest decisions a person can make, this type of expo plays a very important role. Despite their importance, Stefan Kruger is a senior lecturer at North West University, School for Business Management (Tourism Management), Cnr. of Meyer and Hoffmanstreet, Economic and management sciences building, Potchefstroom, 2531 South Africa ( stefan.kruger@nwu.ac.za). Melville Saayman is the Research Director of North West University, Tourism Research Unit in Economic Environs and Society, Potchefstroom, South Africa ( melville.saayman@nwu.ac.za). Suria Ellis is the Head of Statistical Consultation Services, Potchefstroom, South Africa ( suria.ellis@nwu.ac.za). Address correspondence to: Stefan Kruger, at the above address. 649

3 650 JOURNAL OF TRAVEL & TOURISM MARKETING research available specifically on wedding expos is very limited. Therefore, the aim of the research is to investigate the influence of travel motives on visitor happiness attending a Wedding Expo. Based on the aim, the two concepts under investigation in this study have developed to some extent individually and in separate fields: happiness research in positive psychology (Brülde 2007; King, Hicks, Krull, & Del Gaiso, 2006; Seidlitz & Diener, 1993; Veenhoven, 2012) and travel motivations in tourism (Boo & Jones, 2009; Cassidy, 2006; Gnoth, 1997; Kim, Uysal, & Chen, 2002). Despite their separate development, the underlying constructs of research in both these concepts are very interrelated in the current study. It also makes this study unique, since this combination has not been investigated in this context. Tourism or travel motives are seen as the key to marketing, since it reveals the reason why people travel or attend, in this case, a Wedding Expo. A review of tourism literature discloses a copious amount of research on travel motivations (Ryan & Deci, 2000; Nicholson & Pearce, 2001; Cassidy, 2006), satisfaction with life (Neal, Sirgy, & Uysal, 1999; Rojas, 2006; Sirgy, Kruger, Lee, & Yu, 2010), happiness (Csikszentmihalyi & Hunter, 2003; Nawijn, 2011; Nawijn, Marchand, Veenhoven, & Vingerhoets, 2010; Veenhoven, 1984), and mood (Bradburn, 1969; Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988). Many authors have defined motivation as the inner state that directs and energizes human behavior (Dann 1977; Jang, Bai, Hu, & Wu, 2009; Moutinho, 2000). Researchers report that motivation is the drive to satisfy both the physiological and psychological needs of individuals (Berkman, Lindquist, & Sirgy, 1977; Sirgy et al., 2010). Maslow (1954) suggests that the behavior of an individual is determined by conscious or unconscious needs, which create the motivation for behavior. The study of human needs is thus a fundamental component for understanding travel motivation of visitors. The literature available on travel motivations and subjective well-being focuses on various aspects: tourists attending special events including festivals, visiting national parks, senior citizens going on a holiday, the influence of a travel trip on life satisfaction, and happiness through vacationing. However, as indicated above, previous research has not addressed the extent to which travel motives influence the happiness of visitors attending a Wedding Expo. This research will seek to provide answers to this important question related to the study of travel motivations and happiness in tourism. LITERATURE REVIEW Travel Motivation Given the large number of motivational studies in travel and tourism, Dolnicar, Lazarevski, and Yanamandram (2012) carried out a review of literature on studies published in three major international tourism research journals: Tourism Management, Journal of Travel Research, and Annals of Tourism Research. Their research found that most articles related to tourist motivations and their effect on purchase decisions (Park & Yoon, 2009), with a few including motivations theories (Beh & Bruyere, 2007; Dann 2001; Iso-Ahola, 1982; Moreno Gil & Ritchie, 2009). They also found that different decisions are made for different reasons (San Martín & del Bosque, 2008), and different needs must be met (Beh & Bruyere, 2007; Lo, Cheung, & Law, 2011). Despite all the studies quoted above, there is a lack of research into the travel motives of visitors attending wedding expos as a special event and how this influences their happiness. Further exploration into travel motivations and combining these motivations with happiness is thus necessary. This could assist event managers to design better products and services, linking them with visitors happiness. In identifying the different needs and travel motives and their influence on the happiness of visitors, the Wedding Expo can be tailored to meet the needs of attending visitors. Travel motivation starts when an awareness of a need occurs and an individual perceives that travel experiences will result in that need being satisfied (Beh & Bruyere, 2007; Schoeman, 2010). Furthermore, Mayo and Jarvis (1981) and Crompton (1979) have determined that the

4 Kruger, Saayman, and Ellis 651 nature of travel motivation is complex, given that travel motives could differ from visitor to visitor (Uysal & Hagan, 1993). According to MacCannell (1977), visitors are motivated to travel as an escape from day-to-day, routine lifestyle in search of an authentic experience. Visitors travel motivations are also subject to particular situations and distinctive settings (Azman, 2012; Yuan, Cai, Morrison, & Linton, 2005). Visitors to the Wedding Expo may relate to some of the motivations mentioned above: They may be escaping from their daily routine in order to plan a wedding, spending time with someone special, and pursuing enjoyable activities. Identifying the travel motivations of visitors is important and can contribute to the success of the Wedding Expo. Once these travel motives are identified, managers of the Wedding Expo can better market this event and possibly increase visitor attendance (Yoon & Uysal, 2005), bringing related benefits such as positive word-of-mouth (Cini, Kruger, & Ellis, 2012) and the generation of additional income (Sherwood, 2007). Subjective Well-Being Further discussion of the interpretation of happiness and subjective well-being is warranted. Various authors (Diener, 2009a; Gamble & Gärling, 2012; Kahneman & Krueger, 2006; Sirgy, 2002) refer to subjective well-being as an affective state of the evaluations individuals make in their life overall or in various domains. It consists of a cognitive component individuals judgment of their satisfaction with life (SWL) and an affective component the moods and emotions they experience. As satisfaction with life (SWL) involves judgments of an individual s needs, goals, and wishes (Campbell, Converse, & Rodgers, 1976; Sirgy, 2002); the lower the divergence between the perception of life achievements and some standard (e.g., overall, my experiences at the Wedding Expo are memorable and enrich my satisfaction with life), the higher the SWL. Subjective well-being is enhanced with the incidence of Positive Affect (PA) and decreases with the rate of recurrence of Negative Affect (NA). PA includes positive moods (emotions), such as joy, excitement, interest, accomplishment, contentment, and amusement, while NA includes negative moods (emotions), such as disgust, anxiety, sadness, irritation, anger, and fear (Diener et al., 2009). Research into moods and emotions found that affect is related to pleasantness and unpleasantness known as valence and an active passive element characterised as activation (Russel, 2003; Vastfjall, Friman, Garling, & Kleiner, 2002). According to Västfjäll, Gärling, and Kleiner (2001), happiness is directly related to the preference of current mood. Current mood is also situationdependant, such as in a congruent situation (e.g., at the Wedding Expo, I can pursue enjoyable activities), and a positive mood leads to a positive evaluation of the situation and increased happiness. In an incongruent situation (e.g., feeling irritated because the venue doesn t have good facilities), the mood could be evaluated negatively and would lead to a decrease in happiness. Frijda (1999) suggests that emotions have five basic features. Emotions involve affect, implying that they are related to feelings of pleasure and pain. They also evaluate an event as good or bad. Furthermore, emotions could be associated with changes in behavior towards the environment and involve autonomic arousal. Lastly, emotions could consist of changes in cognitive activity. By examining the variation in these features of emotions, we could classify which emotions are basic. Emotions or moods will have a distinct action readiness or motivational property; therefore, different emotions with the same action tendency might be seen as a variation of the same emotion (Frijda, 1986; Izard, 1977). Happiness According to Veenhoven (2012), the word happiness has a number of meanings. Happiness can be considered as a broad term for all that is good. While psychological happiness is a state of mind and includes feelings of joy, serenity, and affection (Sirgy, 2002), prudential happiness can be attained when an individual achieves a high state of well-being, both

5 652 JOURNAL OF TRAVEL & TOURISM MARKETING mentally and physically. Therefore, prudential happiness could lead to a good life (Haybron 2000). Some researchers (Ryff & Singer, 2008; Ryan & Deci, 2011) suggest that happiness is a hedonic experience in evaluating what is good or bad in an individual s life, whereas Brickman and Campbell (1971) are of the opinion that happiness is a result of living a moral and fulfilling life. As the literature on happiness is controversial, in this article, the meaning used is the one suggested by Gamble and Gärling (2012): Happiness is situation dependent, an evaluation of hedonic experiences, and the activation of current mood. It is also related to subjective well-being because access to tangible and intangible resources would promote a fulfilling life. Most of the literature related to subjective well-being and travel motivation in tourism includes studies on leisure research and travel satisfaction (Iso-Ahola, 1979; Pearce, 1993). Some other studies have focused on the effects of leisure satisfaction on life satisfaction (Neal, Uysal, & Sirgy, 2007; Sirgy et al., 2010.) Another group of studies explored the direct effects of leisure travel on life satisfaction (Gilbert & Abdullah, 2004; Milan, 1997) and integrating travel motives with quality of life (Hsu, Cai, & Wong, 2007). METHOD OF RESEARCH The research method for this study was twofold and consisted of related literature and an empirical study. Procedure A survey by means of a questionnaire was conducted among visitors attending the Wedding Expo from March 31 to April 1, 2012 at the Coca-Cola Dome in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. To ensure that the sample represents the study population of visitors attending the Wedding Expo, an intercept sampling approach was used. Fieldworkers, who were strategically placed at various entrances and food courts in the Coca-Cola Dome, approached and intercepted a prospective visitor. They then explained the goals of the study and, based on the willingness of the respondent, gave the questionnaire to the visitor to be completed. The fieldworkers remained with the respondent while the questionnaires were completed to assist with any questions that might have been unclear. Once the questionnaires were completed, the fieldworkers thanked the respondents for their contribution to this study. Of the 390 questionnaires distributed, only 375 fully completed questionnaires were used in the statistical analysis. The remaining 15 questionnaires were not fully completed and so were left out of the statistical calculations, giving a response rate of 96%. According to Krejcie and Morgan (1970), out of a population of 15,000 (N), 306 respondents (S) are considered representative of a study. The number of completed questionnaires is therefore greater than the required number of questionnaires. Measures The questionnaire consisted of three sections: Section A measured demographic information and included information on gender, year of birth, marital status, and level of education. Section B introduced visitors to the Wedding Expo with the following sentence: The following questions determine your travel motivation for attending the Wedding Expo. Please rate on the scale why you attended the Wedding Expo. Section B included 23 statements about travel motives of visitors to the Wedding Expo, such as: To relax, Because attendance gives me time to build stronger relationships with my partner/family, and Because I am planning a wedding. Respondents were asked to rate these statements using a 5-point Likert scale, where 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = neither agree nor disagree, 4 = agree, and 5 = strongly agree. The questions for travel motives were adopted from work done by Cini et al. (2012). Section C introduced visitors to SWL (Sirgy et al., 2010) and positive and negative mood (happiness) (Diener et al., 2009). Three statements in Section C (e.g., Overall, I am feeling

6 Kruger, Saayman, and Ellis 653 happy ) were measured on a 5-point Likert scale, where 1 = not at all, 2 = very little, 3 = neither little nor much, 4 = very much, and 5 = completely. Respondents were further asked to indicate how much you experience each of the following feelings (mood) during your visit to the Wedding Expo. These feelings (mood) included 14 statements (e.g., joy, excitement, sadness, and irritation) about happiness and were measured on a 5- point Likert scale (1 = very rarely, 2 = rarely, 3 = sometimes, 4 = very much, and 5 = completely) based on the scale of positive and negative experience and a measurement of happiness (Diener et al., 2009; Veenhoven, 2012). In the following section, the empirical results and the statistical data analyses methodology of this research will be discussed. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Profile of Visitors Most of the visitors attending the Wedding Expo were female (87%), while 13% were males. Many of the visitors (44%) were between 25 and 34 years of age, and the average age of the visitors to the Wedding Expo was 33 years. The majority of the visitors were single (38%), while 29% were married, 25% were living together, 4% were divorced, 2% were widowed, and 2% were engaged. A significant percentage (37%) of the visitors was well educated, having attained either a diploma or a degree, followed by 31% who had obtained a high school qualification. Furthermore, 18% of visitors had a postgraduate qualification, while 14% had a professional qualification. Statistical Data Analyses Methodology and Results The data analysis made use of SPSS 20.0 (SPSS Inc., 2012). An assessment of the data was done to determine if the dataset was suitable to do an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to test the strength of the relationship between the variables. To assess the strength of the intercorrelations between variables and the factorability of the data, two statistical measures were used as suggested by Tabachnick and Fidell, (2007): Bartlett s test of sphericity and the Kaiser- Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy. For the EFA to be considered suitable, the Bartlett s test of sphericity should be significant (p <.05), and a KMO should range from 0 to 1, with.6 as the minimum value for an acceptable EFA (Pallant, 2010; Tabachnick & Fidell, 2007). The covariance matrix was considered to be appropriate for the factor analyses, as the KMO value for travel motives in Table 1 was 0.91, for SWL 0.69, and for positive and negative mood 0.84 (Table 2). The associated Bartlett s test of sphericity value was found to be significant (p <.00001) in all cases. The smallest number of factors was extracted from the data using a principal component analysis technique. These factors best describe the underlying interrelationships among the variables, while eigenvalues exceeding 1.0 with loadings of 0.40 were used for item inclusion. An Oblimin with Kaizer Normalization rotation technique was applied. The factors for travel motives (52.8%), SWL (87.3%), and positive and negative mood (56.7%) accounted for the total percentages of variance explained. One of the most frequently used indicators of internal consistency of a Likert scale is the Cronbach Alpha (CA). The CA of a scale should be above.7 (DeVellis, 2003). All the identified factors in this study had an acceptable level of reliability.7, which shows high levels of internal consistency. Often low CA values are found with shorter scales, and so it is good practice to report the mean-inter-item correlation of the factors, which should range between 0.15 and 0.55 (Clark & Watson, 1995). All factors had a satisfactory mean-inter-item correlation of above 0.30 (see Tables 1 and 2). As Table 1 illustrates, the following factors were identified: event attributes/attractiveness, enhancement of kinship/relationship, and event novelty. Of the three travel motives, the factor event attributes/attractiveness had the highest mean (3.73) and included aspects such as to gain new ideas on trends, to compare prices, to explore the many exhibitors, to inspire creative abilities, to apply personal preferences, to explore aspects involved in wedding planning, to awaken curiosity, and to learn new things

7 654 JOURNAL OF TRAVEL & TOURISM MARKETING TABLE 1. Factor Analysis of Travel Motives Questionnaire statements Event attributes/ attractiveness Enhancement of kinship/relationships Event novelty To gain new ideas on trends and styles.800 at the Wedding Expo To compare prices of available products at the Wedding Expo Because the Wedding Expo is large enough to allow exploration of many exhibitors Because visiting the Wedding Expo inspires my creative abilities Visiting the Wedding Expo, I can apply my personal preferences To experience and learn about all the aspects involved in wedding planning Because the Wedding Expo awakens my curiosity Because I can learn new things about.495 special events Because I am planning a wedding Because at the Wedding Expo, I can spend time with someone special Because attendance gives me time to build stronger relationships with my partner/family To relax For a fun experience with friends and family For the benefit of my travelling group Because it is an exciting thing to do So that other members in my party could develop an appreciation for special events Because being at the Wedding Expo awakens my intellectual capabilities Because the event is close to where I live Because at the Wedding Expo, I can meet new friends Because the Coca Cola Dome has great facilities Because at the Wedding Expo, I feel free to do what I like Because the Wedding Expo is value for money Because at the Wedding Expo, I can pursue enjoyable activities Cronbach Alpha Mean-inter-item correlation Mean & Std. deviation 3.73 ± ± ±.82 Note. Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis. Rotation Method: Oblimin with Kaiser Normalization. about planning a new wedding. Lee, Lee, and Wicks (2003) and Streiger and Saayman (2010) confirm that this factor is an important travel motive. Enhancement of kinship/relationship had a mean of 3.72 and consisted of statements such as spending time with someone special, building stronger relationships, to relax, for a fun experience, for the benefit of travelling group, because it is an exciting thing to do, and other members could appreciate special events. This motive is supported by studies done by Lee and Pearce (2002) and Pearce and Lee (2005).

8 Kruger, Saayman, and Ellis 655 TABLE 2. Factor Analysis of Items Measuring Positive and Negative Mood Aspects Positive mood Negative mood Joy.718 Excitement Interest Accomplishment Happiness Contentment Amusement Disgust.525 Anxiety Sadness Irritation Anger Fear Boredom Cronbach Alpha Mean-inter-item correlation Mean & Std. deviation 3.76 ± ±.81 Note. Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis. Rotation Method: Oblimin with Kaiser Normalization. The factor that achieved the lowest mean (of 3.06) was event novelty, which included statements such as awakening intellectual capabilities, the event is close to where I live, meeting new friends, great facilities, value for money, and pursuing enjoyable activities. SWL were identified as one factor and refers to a process by which individuals judge and assess their lives based on a set of criteria. An individual might report a high SWL if their perceived life circumstances match their set of standards; an individual might report a high SWL. Therefore, SWL assesses an individual s life as a whole (Diener, 2009b; Sirgy et al., 2010). Furthermore, the following items were identified in Table 2: positive mood and negative mood. Based on the Likert scales used, the mean and standard deviation from the descriptive analysis were reported, from which the following can be deliberated on. Positive mood obtained the highest mean of 3.76, followed by negative mood of The current mood increases with the activation of a positive mood and decreases with activation of a negative mood (Gamble & Gärling, 2012; Västfjäll et al., 2001). Thus, in a positive mood, being euphoric is preferred to being relaxed. For example, attending the Wedding Expo with the travel motive of having a fun experience with friends and family would make a visitor happy. However, in a negative mood, the visitor would become bored because of not being able to pursue enjoyable activities at the Wedding Expo. In Table 3, an independent samples t-test wasusedtocomparethemeanscoreonthe continuous variables (factors) for two different groups (male and female) of participants visiting the Wedding Expo. The purpose of the t-test was to determine whether there were any significant differences between male and female visitors travel motives, SWL, and mood (happiness). Guidelines proposed by Cohen (1988) were used to interpret the strength of the different effect size statistics. The mean scores were TABLE 3. Independent Samples t-test between Males and Females Visiting the Wedding Expo Factor N Male N Female Mean Std. Dev. Mean Std. Dev. Sig. (2-taled) P-value Effect size Event attributes/attractiveness * Enhancement of kinship/relationships * Event novelty * SWL ** Positive mood ** Negative experience Mood balance ** Note. Effect sizes : *0.2 Small not significant; **0.5 Medium or visible difference; ***0.8 Large difference.

9 656 JOURNAL OF TRAVEL & TOURISM MARKETING visibly higher for females than for males for the following factors: SWL (M = 3.86), positive mood (M = 3.81), and mood balance (M =2.06) (Ellis & Steyn, 2003). According to Pallant (2010), an ANOVA involves independent variables (factors) that have a number of different levels. These levels correspond to the different groups or situations. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to explore the relationship between demographic characteristics on travel motives, SWL, and mood (happiness) of visitors attending the Wedding Expo. No statistical or practical significant effects were found between marital status on any of the factors identified in travel motives, SWL, and positive and negative mood (happiness). As Table 4 shows, event novelty (p = 0.01) was the only factor where statistically significant differences were observed. Effect sizes for postgraduates with all the categories had a medium effect, indicating that visitors with a postgraduate degree were less interested in seeking event novelty than visitors with the other educational levels. Factor N Educations Mean Std. Dev. TABLE 4. Anova of Items Measuring Education P-value Effect size with Grade 12 Effect size with Diploma/Degree Effect size with Postgraduate Event attributes/ 111 Grade attractiveness 129 Diploma/ Degree Postgraduate Professional Enhancement of 108 Grade kinship/ relationships 127 Diploma/ Degree Postgraduate Professional Event novelty 109 Grade Diploma/ Degree 60 Postgraduate Professional SWL 111 Grade Diploma/ Degree 60 Postgraduate Professional Positive mood 107 Grade Diploma/ Degree 59 Postgraduate Professional Negative mood 102 Grade Diploma/ Degree 58 Postgraduate Professional Mood balance 101 Grade Diploma/ Degree 58 Postgraduate Professional Note. Effect sizes: Effect Sizes: *0.2 Small; **0.5 Medium; ***0.8 Large.

10 Kruger, Saayman, and Ellis 657 A one-way between groups ANOVA was further conducted to explore the impact of the decision to attend on travel motives of visitors to the Wedding Expo. In Table 5, event attractiveness/attributes (p = 0.02) and SWL (p = 0.02) were statistically significant. Respondents who spontaneously decided to attend the Wedding Expo differ with a medium effect from those who decided to attend the event one month prior (d = 0.42) and those who decided to attend the event once it was announced (d = 0.50). Those who spontaneously decided to attend the Wedding Expo were also less motivated by the event attractiveness/attributes, compared to those respondents who decided to attend the event one month prior and those who decided to attend the event once it was announced. The SWL of respondents who reported a spontaneous decision differ with a medium effect (d = 0.56) from those who decided once the event was announced. Respondents who decided to attend the Wedding Expo when it was announced had a higher SWL than visitors who made a spontaneous decision. A Spearman rank correlation coefficient analysis is used to describe the strength and linear relationship between two variables (Pallant, 2010). Table 6 interprets the strength of the relationships between the r-values. Cohen (1988) suggests the following values (r =.10.29, small; r =.30.49, medium, and r = , medium) as a guideline. There was a large positive correlation between event attributes/attractiveness and SWL (r =.497), positive mood (r =.497), enhancement of kinship/relationships (r =.501), and event novelty (r =.562). A small negative correlation between event attributes/attractiveness and negative mood (r =.157) was observed. Enhancement of kinship/relationships correlates with SWL (r =.395), positive mood (r =.391), negative mood (r =.091), event attributes/attractiveness (r =.501), and event novelty (r =.571). Event novelty correlates with SWL (r =.430), positive mood (r =.360), negative mood (r =.106), event attributes/attractiveness (r =.562), and enhancement of kinship/relationships (r =.571). The relations between the majorities of travel motives of visitors attending the Wedding Expo were large. All correlations were statistically significant with a p <.05. As a final point, the data was used in Amos (Amos Development Company, 2009) to test the relationships between constructs displayed in Figure 1. Structural equation modelling (SEM) represents a theory-driven, data-analytical approach for the evaluation of causal relations among latent variables, such as event attributes/attractiveness, event novelty, and SWL. Measured variables in SEM are represented by rectangles, and unobserved factors are articulated by ellipses. One-headed arrows point from causes to effects, while two-headed arrows represent non-causal co-variation between factors of a model (Hancock & Mueller, 2010). Effect of Event Attributes/Attractiveness on Visitors Happiness In Figure 1, the standardized regression weights indicate that event attributes/attractiveness as a travel motive of visitors attending the Wedding Expo had a statistically significant effect on negative mood (β = 0.46), a positive relationship with positive mood (β = 0.76), and a statistical significant effect on SWL (β = 0.66). Therefore, the higher the event attributes/attractiveness motive of visitors to the Wedding Expo, the greater their SWL and positive mood (happiness). Effect of Enhancement of Kinship/ Relationships on Visitors Happiness The travel motive, enhancement of kinship/ relationships had a statistically significant effect on positive mood (β = 0.21) and no statistical significant effect on negative mood (β = 0.01) (happiness) and SWL (β = 0.11). Thus, if visitors to the Wedding Expo experience an increase in the travel motive enhancement of kinship/relationships, their positive mood and SWL would also increase.

11 658 JOURNAL OF TRAVEL & TOURISM MARKETING TABLE 5. ANOVA of Items Measuring Decision to Attend Factor N Decision to attend Mean Std. Dev. P-value Effect size with spontaneous decision Effect size with a month ago Effect size with more than a month ago Event attributes/ attractiveness Enhancement of kinship/ relationships Event novelty SWL Positive mood Negative mood Mood balance 90 Spontaneous decision 106 A month ago More than a month ago 65 When it was announced Spontaneous decision 102 A month ago More than a month ago 63 When it was announced 89 Spontaneous decision 101 A month ago More than a month ago 63 When it was announced 88 Spontaneous decision 105 A month ago More than a month ago 63 When it was announced 87 Spontaneous decision 103 A month ago More than a month ago When it was announced 86 Spontaneous decision 96 A month ago More than a month ago 57 When it was announced 86 Spontaneous decision 95 A month ago More than a month ago 57 When it was announced Note. Effect sizes: Effect Sizes: *0.2 Small; **0.5 Medium; ***0.8 Large.

12 Kruger, Saayman, and Ellis 659 TABLE 6. Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient of Travel Motives and Well-Being Satisfaction with life Positive mood Negative mood Mood balance Event attributes/ attractiveness Enhancement of kinship/relationships Event novelty Event attributes/ attractiveness Enhancement of kinship/relationships.497**.497**.157**.389** **.562** **.391** **.501** 1.000*.571** Event novelty.430**.360** **.562**.571** Note. ** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed) (Pallant, 2010). FIGURE 1. The Influence of Travel Motives on Happiness of Visitors Attending a Wedding Expo Note. Statistical significant on 5% level of significance ( 0.05) Effect of Event Novelty on Visitors Happiness Event novelty had a statistically significant negative effect on positive mood (β =.22) (happiness) and a direct statistically significant positive effect on negative mood (β = 0.29) (happiness). The negative effect (β = 0.07) of event novelty effect on SWL was not statistically significant. These relations were the opposite of what could be expected and were observed in the travel motives event attributes/attractiveness and enhancement of kinship/relationships. This might be due to a suppression effect (Cohen & Cohen, 1975) that can be ascribed to the high correlations between the three travel motives as described in Table 6. This means that if the effect of event attributes/attractiveness and enhancement of kinship/relationships is controlled for or partialled (assuming that all visitors have the same travel motives regarding event attributes/attractiveness and enhancement of kinship/relationships), an increase in the event novelty travel motive will decrease visitors happiness and SWL. Therefore, the SWL and happiness of visitors attending a Wedding Expo is enhanced less

13 660 JOURNAL OF TRAVEL & TOURISM MARKETING by seeking novelty than by event attributes/attractiveness of the event and enhancement of kinship/ relationships. In other words, if all respondents had the same event novelty travel motive, increasing the travel motives event attributes/attractiveness and enhancement of kinship/relationships will increase visitors happiness and SWL. A very important issue addressed by the SEM is the assessment of the model fit (Byrne, 2001). According to Hancock and Muller (2010), researchers should report multiple fit indices to retain a model. As suggested by Wheaton, Muthen, Alwin, and Summers (1977) and Tabachnick and Fidell (2007), an acceptable ratio of the chi square divided by its degrees of freedom (x 2 /df) should range from 2 to 5. The root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) and its associated 90% confidence interval should fall close to.06 (Hu & Bentler 1999) or below an upper limit of 0.07 (Steiger, 2007). For the comparative fit index (CFI), a value of 0.95 is recognized as being indicative of a good fit (Hancock & Mueller, 2010; Hu & Bentler, 1999). The results indicated that the data fits the study s SEM in Figure 1 well. The x 2 /df statistic obtained for the SEM was 2.5, which suggests an adequate fit. The six-factor model produced an acceptable CFI = 0.8 and a RMSEA = 0.6 with a 90% confidence interval of [0.060; 0.067]. FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS The aim of this study was to determine the influence of travel motives on the happiness of visitors attending a Wedding Expo. The research revealed three key travel motives: event attributes/attractiveness, enhancement of kinship/ relationships, and event novelty. Thereby confirming that event attributes/attractiveness is the main motivator for visitors attending special events (see Streiger & Saayman, 2010; Uysal& Li, 2008). Furthermore, Lee et al. (2003) showed that attractiveness of an event draws an important market segment such as the multipurpose visitor. This research also confirms that enhancement of kinship/relationships is an important motivational factor to many Wedding Expo visitors (see Lee &Pearce,2002; Pearce & Lee, 2005). The implication is that these visitors had a desire to enhance their relationship by spending time with someone special; the someone special most probably is the person he/she is going to marry. This motive can therefore be seen as one of the key attractions of a Wedding Expo and should also be used in the marketing campaign of this special event. Event novelty supports the notion that visitors attend the Wedding Expo for what it offers rather than attending an event in general (Nicholson & Pearce, 2001; Park, Reisinger, & Kang, 2008). Most of the visitors rated their SWL above average and indicated a very positive mood (happiness) while attending the Wedding Expo. Again, the notion that weddings generate feelings of happiness and excitement might play a role here. The extracted factors and the underlying relationships are consistent with earlier research (Crompton & McKay, 1997; Getz, 1991, 2008; Nicholson & Pearce, 2001) and add to the notion that the grouping of event motives and happiness is universal (Gursoy, Spangenberg, & Rutherford, 2006; Snepenger, King, Marshall, & Uysal, 2006). The results of the independent samples t-test indicated that the mean scores were higher for females than for males. This could be because visiting the Wedding Expo enhanced the happiness of females more than that of males. These results are somehow supported by Corrado (2002), who found that excited and relaxed future brides conform to the image of happiness. Thus, visiting the Wedding Expo to gain new ideas on trends and styles could cause future brides to be happy and excited. The inferential statistic (Anova) results showed that only one factor event novelty was statistically significant. This could be explained by the uniqueness of this event. Event novelty as a motivation was less important for postgraduates visiting the Wedding Expo than for other educational groups. This finding could be explained by postgraduates being more exposed to special events and possibly earning a higher income for pursuing leisure activities than other educational groups, and so event novelty is not an important travel motive to this group of visitors. The implication of this finding is that the marketing campaign of the Wedding Expo s management team should

14 Kruger, Saayman, and Ellis 661 focus on event attributes/attractiveness and enhancement of kinship/relationships when marketing the event to postgraduates visiting the Wedding Expo. Furthermore, the research proposed a model to explain the influence of travel motives on visitors happiness attending a Wedding Expo. All three travel motives (event attributes/attractiveness, enhancement of kinship/relationships, and event novelty) had an influence on happiness. The correlation is medium to high when the correlations with all three travel motives and the influence thereof on happiness (SWL and positive mood) are viewed separately. Thus, the happiness of visitors attending the Wedding Expo increases as the motivations to travel increases. Only event attributes/attractiveness had a statistically significant negative correlation with happiness (negative mood), implying that a visitor who did not want to attend but still travelled to the Wedding Expo would experience a more negative mood and thus be less happy, which, based on the above, tend to be males rather than females. These findings support the results of the SEM, which indicated that event attributes/ attractiveness (with the highest mean) contributes most to the happiness of visitors attending the Wedding Expo. Enhancement of kinship/ relationships had a statistically significant influence on happiness (positive mood) in the presence of travel motives of event attributes/ attractiveness and event novelty. Thus, event novelty is supressed by event attributes/attractiveness and enhancement of kinship/relationships. This may be partially explained by the short time spent at the Wedding Expo compared with taking a holiday for a longer period and the experiences gained; the time is insufficient for bonding to take place in relation to everyday life (Crompton & McKay, 1997). Therefore, managers of the Wedding Expo should design activities that retain visitors for a longer period of time. For example, a promotion that takes place over two days during the event, offering special packages to couples who are getting married in the next few months. To win, participants would have to be present at the draw for the prize, which could be a honeymoon package or a venue for the wedding reception. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE RESEARCH This research combines the travel motives of visitors to a Wedding Expo and the influence of these travel motives on their happiness. The study found that the visitors satisfaction with life and happiness are enhanced more by the event s attributes/attractiveness and enhancement of kinship/relationships than by event novelty. Enhancing the happiness of visitors attending a special event will be of benefit to the event industry in the long run. This study contributes and adds value to the literature on travel motivation, happiness, marketing, and events research in tourism. The results showed that the type of event remains an important attribute. However, the study has some limitations, which suggest direction for further research. Further studies would be required to test the generalizability of the results to other samples. Secondly, since empirical evidences showed the importance of the length of stay in terms of enhanced well-being (Neal et al., 2007), future research should also include the amount of time spent by visitors at the specific event. Specifically, the influence of travel motives on well-being (happiness) of visitors could then be investigated by the length of stay as a relay variable. Thirdly, even visitors level of past exposure to events could affect their happiness. Loyal visitors to events are possibly characterized by a more positive interest and by higher levels of happiness compared to those visitors who attend events once in a while. Future studies should also include the level of past exposure to events when investigating the relationship between visit motivations and visitors happiness. REFERENCES Amos Development Company. (2009). Amos (Build 1404) Copyright James L. Arbuckle. NET Framework Version 1.1. Azman, A. M. (2012). Food tourism in special events and festivals in Appalachian Ohio. Ohio University Ohio. (Master of Science Dissertation). Beh, A., & Bruyere, B. L. (2007). Segmentation by visitor motivation in three Kenyan national reserves. Tourism

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