Conducting research on food festivals is vital for advancing the development of tourist destinations. This study, conducted at the Bahrain Food Festival on the eastern coast of the Persian Gulf, aimed to achieve the following objectives: (1) To identify the motivational factors that drive visitors to food festivals and (2) to determine the relationship between these attendees’ sociodemographic characteristics and motivations. Motivations are often categorized as push factors (internal desires) and pull factors (external incentives). Three hundred eighty valid questionnaires were collected online from event attendees, and statistical techniques such as factor analysis and multiple regression were applied. The findings revealed five motivational dimensions associated with food festivals: Local cuisine, Art, Entertainment, Socialization, and Escape and Novelty. Moreover, some sociodemogra...

This study examines the intrinsic motivations driving tourist satisfaction and loyalty at Bahrain’s Spring of Culture Festival. Based on data from 389 valid surveys, a structural equation model using the partial least squares technique was applied to analyze causal relationships. The results identified cultural exploration, novelty, and socialization as the primary motivations influencing satisfaction. Among these, cultural exploration emerged as the most significant factor, highlighting tourists’ pursuit of enriching experiences. Novelty and socialization were also found to positively influence satisfaction by offering unique activities and opportunities for personal interaction. Satisfaction, in turn, showed a positive impact on loyalty, demonstrated in attendees’ intentions to return and share positive word-of-mouth about the festival. From a theoretical point of view, this stud...