Exploring Visitors’ Experience, Motivations, and Transformative Experience at a Vegan Gastronomic Festival: The Case of Vegan Fam Festival

Anastasia Mina, Katerina Pericleous () and Prokopis Christou
Additional contact information
Anastasia Mina: Cyprus University of Technology
Katerina Pericleous: Cyprus University of Technology
Prokopis Christou: Cyprus University of Technology

A chapter in Synergizing Management, Culture, and Arts for Tourism Development - Vol. 2, 2026, pp 261-278 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Veganism has evolved from a niche lifestyle into a global sociocultural phenomenon. This growing movement is not only reshaping dietary habits but also influencing business practices, consumer markets, tourism, and academic research. This is reflected in the increasing organization and popularity of vegan-themed festivals that blend gastronomy, sustainability, and transformative experiences. This study explores the visitor experience at the Vegan Fam Festival in Cyprus—an event centered on plant-based gastronomy, sustainability, and ethical living. Using a quantitative methodological approach, it investigates visitors’ (n = 154) motivations, satisfaction, and potential behavioral transformation. Results indicate high overall satisfaction. A notable percentage of participants reported that the festival inspired them to adopt sustainable lifestyle practices. The findings position this specific festival not only as a culinary and cultural event but also as a platform for identity expression, education, and long-term behavioral change. This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of tourist motivation and satisfaction within the underexplored context of vegan tourism. Furthermore, it highlights the potential of vegan festivals to serve as transformational, value-driven tourism experiences within a shifting global food culture—a field that remains relatively new and understudied in tourism and hospitality research.

Keywords: Veganism; Vegan festival; Gastronomic tourism; Transformative tourism experience; Visitor motivation; Visitor satisfaction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Z32 Z39 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:prbchp:978-3-032-17534-2_16

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/9783032175342

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-17534-2_16

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().