A comparative study of Caucasian and Asian visitors to a Cultural Expo in an Asian setting

The purpose of this study is to make a comparison of event motivation between Caucasian and Asian visitors in the Asian setting of the Kyongju World Cultural Expo, where approximately seven thousand artists and performers from 48 countries participated. For the comparative study, 32 motivation items were factor analyzed, resulting in seven underlying dimensions. The results show that significant differences in motivations existed among visitors from four countries/regions. Duncan's multiple-range tests were performed to further examine differences in motivations among these visitors. The results show that no significant differences were found between Koreans and Japanese (Asian) as well as between Americans and Europeans (Caucasian). However, significant differences were found between Caucasians and Asians. Moreover, the mean scores indicate that Caucasian visitors tended to have higher motivations than Asian visitors. Both visitor segments placed high ratings on the motivation factors of cultural exploration and event attractions, while they placed low ratings on the factor of family togetherness. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.