Determination of preferred performing arts tourism products using conjoint analysis

Abstract

The performing arts are an integral part of the economies of many communities and often highlight the cultures of places visited. Because of this, studies on performing arts have been actively conducted in the arts management and marketing fields. Yet, little research has examined the benefits of the performing arts from a tourism perspective. Thus, the current study employed conjoint analysis in an attempt to identify the most preferred performing arts tourism products as perceived by Japanese tourists. Results revealed the most important determinant attributes Japanese tourists consider in purchasing a Korean performing arts product were ‘admission price’, followed by ‘type of theater’, ‘genre’, and ‘location of theater’. The most preferred performing arts tourism product was found to be the following: 5.517 (overall utility) = 1.081 (Korean pop music concert) + 2.233 (less than 5000 Yen) + 0.775 (downtown Seoul) + 1.428 (exclusive theater).

Keywords

Conjoint analysis Japanese performing arts product

Introduction

The performing arts are a primary attraction for many cultural tourists (Chacko and Schaffer, 1993; Getz, 1991; Grant and Paliwoda, 1998; Lim and Bendle, 2012; McCarty et al., 2001; Rolfe, 1992; Zeppel and Hal, 2001). The performing arts industry in South Korea has dramatically expanded over the years with the so-called ‘Korean Wave’ (called ‘Hallyu’ in Chinese) (Kim et al., 2010), which is a phenomenon characterized by a love for Korean pop culture, including TV programs, movies, music, food, characters, and game programs. For Korean TV dramas/movies, this phenomenon originated in the pan-Asian region. For Korean pop songs (K-pop), it was initiated in broader regions, including Latin America, the United States, and Europe (Yen and Teng, 2015).

Among pop cultural products, musical performances exceeded half of the performance market in 2015 (Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange (KOFICE), 2016). In particular, nonverbal performances have become popular with international tourists. For example, ‘Nanta’, a cooking show, is known as one of the most popular nonverbal performing arts to foreign tourists to Korea. It is likely popular because it was designed to attract non-Korean speakers by overcoming language barriers with the use of beats and festive rhythms. Since Nanta first opened in 1997, it has been showcased in 273 cities in 41 countries (http://nanta.i-pmc.co.kr), has been performed approximately 644 times to audiences of 3,810,000, and has earned more than 70.2 billion Korean won.

Other recent types of nonverbal performances include ‘Miso’ (which highlights multiple genre of Korean traditional performances), b-boying (also known as breakdancing), ‘Jump’ (a dance performance that features martial arts, acrobatics, and comedy), and drawing shows (a visual theater show in which performers draw large paintings onstage).

A main reason why this study chose Japanese performing arts tourists is that Japanese tourists are a major target market for the Korean performing arts industry as they account for almost 35% of the entire market (Fillis and Lee, 2011). This increase in Japanese tourists has been suggested to be caused by the recent popularity of Korean television dramas and pop music (Kim et al., 2014; Lee et al., 2008). Thus, a better understanding of the needs and preferences of Japanese tourists should likely contribute to the development of Korean cultural tourism products, including performing arts for international tourists.

Study background: Example of Korean performing arts

Exports of Korean cultural content, such as performing arts, movies, characters, TV programs, comic books, story books, performances of singers, music CDs, DVD, VOD, and computer games, accounted for US$4.6 billion in 2012 (KBS News, 2014). Compared with other exports, the performing arts exports are sufficiently minimal, which has prevented them from being categorized statistically. However, efforts to globalize Korean performing arts have increased with the developing domestic market.

In Korea, the performing arts market for foreigners is limited. The most popular performing arts category for foreign tourists is musical performances, which includes concerts of one singer or a group of singers, music awards, and fan events. The popularity of musical performances in Korea can be attributed to the entry of Korean singers, who perform songs and choreographed dances, for overseas markets. These singers wear unique costumes and their shows feature high-tech effects.

Korean pop music, especially dance music, has been termed ‘K-pop’. Even though most foreign listeners cannot understand the songs which are sung in Korean, they still enjoy the repetitious rhythm and refrains. The K-pop has expanded its audience beyond Asia to Latin America, the United States, and Europe. It has been suggested the exposure of foreigners to K-pop has benefited Korean tourism because foreigners purchase diverse cultural products such as publications, cartoons, TV dramas, movies, cosmetics, plastic surgery, cuisine, health-care devices, health food, and fashion (KOFICE, 2016).

Many foreign audiences prefer nonverbal performances because such performances can overcome communication barriers. Typical nonverbal musical performances include Nanta (discussed above) and Jump. Jump features Asian martial arts, including taekwondo and kung fu, as well as comedic gestures and acrobatic movements. Jump performances received a US$1 million Export Achievement Award in 2007 from the Korean government and attracted an audience of 4.5 million persons prior to 2015 (KOFICE, 2016). While the aforementioned shows have had success, the ability of performing arts to attract foreign tourists has remained limited. It could thus be argued that the use of performing arts as a tourist attraction in Korea remains underdeveloped. However, since 2000, foreign tourists have gradually become more interested in nonverbal musicals, musicals adapted from original drama series, and musicals that feature popular celebrities (Lim and Bendle, 2012).

This study has three major objectives. The first is to explore the determinant attributes considered by Japanese tourists when purchasing a Korean performing arts product. As described above, Japanese tourists were selected as they have been found to have a relatively higher level of understanding of Korean performances and greater motivation to experience them during their travels to Korea than other markets (Choi, 2016; Kim et al., 2010). The second objective of the study is to attempt to identify the relative importance of various attributes of Korean performances. The final objective is to assess whether the determinant attributes and the relative importance within levels of the attributes are different for respondents who have different demographic characteristics or preferred times to watch performances.

Literature review

The performing arts such as plays, operas, music, dance, and musicals can promote the culture of a country, its historical legacy, the artistic talents of performers, and/or creative ideas (Scollen, 2008; Throsby and Withers 1979; Venkatesh and Meamber, 2006). While likely an important topic, the tourism literature has not actively examined performing arts. Review of the literature suggests prior research in this area can be placed in six categories as follows: image creator, revitalizing economies, sociodemographic characteristic, psychological and behavioral characteristics, decision-making, and cultural value.

Research on the roles of performing arts as an image creator for a destination (Guetzkow, 2002; Hughes, 2000; Liu, 2014) has revealed that performances can enhance residents’ quality of life and preserve cultural values, which can develop unity and pride (Brooker and Joppe, 2014; Kopczynski and Hager, 2004). Similarly, Smith (2015) suggested that cultural representations (i.e. performances) can reinforce the sense of place and cultural identify of a place. These studies correspond with the commentaries of other researchers who have indicated that performing arts function as a tool for destination marketing and assist in destination choice (Chacko and Schaffer, 1993; Getz, 1991; Grant and Paliwoda, 1998; Rolfe, 1992).

The performing arts can also help revitalize local economies by attracting tourists (Hughes, 2000; The Broadway League, 2014; World Bank Group, 2014). The World Bank Group (2014) revealed that performing arts can enrich the creative wealth of the world through both monetary and nonmonetary value. Attendance at performing arts events can stimulate local economies as visitors tend to spend money in the region prior to and after attending a performance (e.g. shopping and restaurants). According to The Broadway League (2014), the Broadway performance industry contributed almost US$11 billion to New York City during the 2012–2013 season, including direct and indirect spending and also brought in 86,000 local jobs. Recently, the Korean performing arts have utilized pop culture genres such as food, TV drama, film, and music, which have resulted in significant economic contributions. For example, both concerts (US$216 million) (Korea Creative Content Agency, 2014) and musicals (US$293 million) have made significant contributions to the Korean economy (Korea Arts Management Service, 2015).

The third category of studies has identified sociodemographic characteristics of performing art customers. It has been found that people with higher incomes have a higher tendency than less privileged people to attend arts-related tourism activities such as performances (Hargrove, 2002; Smith, 2003; Throsby and Withers, 1979; Zieba, 2016). Further, Scollen (2008) indicated that theatergoers tend to be highly educated, and Sayre and King (2003) found that attendance to these events can signify social status. Additionally, retired people have been found to be more willing to attend performances (Hargrove, 2002; Smith, 2003), while females and middle-aged people have been found to prefer cultural events (Kim et al., 2007).

Analysis of psychological and behavioral characteristics of performing arts tourists has revealed that those who like performing arts have been found to seek creative experiences such as novelty seeking, knowledge and skill enhancement, and awareness of new social issues (Prentice and Andersen, 2003; Richards, 2014; Tan et al., 2014; World Bank Group, 2014). Similarly, Swanson et al. (2008) found that visitors to live art performances are motivated by esthetics, education, escape, recreation, enhancement of self-esteem, and social interaction, while Kruger, Saayman, and Ellis (2011) found attractiveness, socialization, and escape to be primary motives to attend an orchestra festival. In sum, novelty-seeking has been found to be a primary motive for watching performances.

A fifth research category has identified important factors in decision-making of performing arts seekers. From a marketing perspective, Lim and Bendle (2012) categorized international arts-related tourists to Korea into four cohorts according to audience size and potential as a market. Their resulting segments included developing, potential, growing, and mature. The last category identifies influential factors that affect the purchasing decisions of performing arts customers. Both Britton (1991) and Hughes (2000) argued that the most important success factor for performing arts is the location of the theater. Conversely, Sanchez et al. (2006) suggested that price may be the main determining factor when tourists purchase a cultural tourism product. Likewise, Saleh and Ryan (1993) found the condition of facilities, quality of performance, admission prices, and distance to and from the festivals to be the most important attributes for visitors. In contrast, Song and Cheung (2010) revealed that stage, venue, service, assistance for tourist’s understanding, and performance affected tourists’ satisfaction and loyalty.

The review of literature revealed the cultural value of performing arts as the sixth research direction. For the most part, this research has criticized the exploitation of performing arts for economic gain and has placed emphasis on cultural value and conservation instead. Hunter (2013) indicated that visitors to an aboriginal village in Taiwan had high expectations for indigenous cultural components and that the performers also agreed the importance of authenticity in making the event successful. Likewise, the performing arts have been found to assist in recontextualizing indigenous groups’ historical myths and meaning (Picard et al., 2014). However, Mackerras (2011) commented that domestic tourism businesses in China are not as interested as foreign tourists are for providing authenticity (e.g. changed form of performances from traditional forms). He further lamented the commercialization of cultural value to gain economic gains.

In sum, an array of previous studies has identified performing arts to be a tool which can promote regional/national image, contribute to economic gains, and facilitate their globalization through promoting local culture. Yet, some studies have also expressed concern for taking advantage of culture to make money. While these studies have generated information about performing arts as tourism products, the literature is lacking in studies that help identify the specific preferred products that performing arts tourists’ desire.

Methods

Conjoint analysis

Conjoint analysis facilitates the calculation of the relative importance of various attributes (factors) and the preferred levels of each attribute (Hair et al., 2006). The relative importance of each attribute can be expressed as the utility range divided by the sum of utility ranges of all attributes (Hair et al., 2006). Utility refers to a subjective judgment of the preference of each individual. This approach has been suggested to be superior to other approaches for developing a new device, product, or facility, as it specifically identifies the trade-offs of the preferences of respondents in choosing the product or service (Crawford and Benedetto, 2008; Levy, 1995; Okechuku, 1993; Toombs and Bailey, 1995).

Compared to the consumer behavior literature which has often used conjoint analysis, this methodological approach has not been actively applied to tourism and hospitality (Bogue et al., 2009; Dellaert et al., 1995; Hu and Hiemstra, 1996; Park et al., 2010; Ruetzler et al., 2012; Wong and Lam, 2001). Since past research in the consumer behavior and tourism fields have shown this methodology to be an effective way to determine preferred product attributes, and the performing arts product in Korea is in need of this information, the current study employed conjoint analysis.

Research procedures

The steps in conducting the conjoint analysis used in this study were as follows: (1) selection of determinant attributes and levels based on a thorough review of the literature, interviews, and a pretest; (2) creation of profiles by using full-profile measurement and orthogonal design methods; (3) final decision of profiles determined via a pilot test; (4) creation of card sets, including profiles, by using a balanced incomplete block (BIB) test and random selection; (5) selection of optimal performing arts product sets based on overall utility; and (6) assessment of optimal Korean performing arts product sets based on overall utility and analysis of utility according to each attribute.

Questions for the current study were developed via the use of full-profile measurement, which is designed to ask respondents to rank profiles according to their preferences. This approach was adopted because of its popularity and its ability to reduce comparisons through fractional factorial design (Hair et al., 2006).

Respondents can encounter difficulty in evaluating the sets of profiles and in providing consistent and meaningful answers when excessive profiles are created. Thus, the number of combination sets has been recommended to be reduced to a manageable level without downsizing the predictive power contained in the original design (Green and Srinivasan, 1978, 1990). The ORTHOPLAN option in SPSS, which uses the orthogonal design method, assumes a lack of correlation among levels across attributes because of the automatic selection of profiles, and was used in the current study. Cards include combined profiles (e.g. 18 cards are created, and each card includes three profiles) because ranking the selected profiles with accuracy and consistency at one time would likely be difficult.

Questionnaire development and data collection

The first step of a conjoint analysis is to identify the determinant attributes of a product or service and their levels (Crouch, 2011; Park et al., 2010). The determinant attributes of Korean performing arts products and their levels as perceived by Japanese tourists were explored by reviewing previous studies related to performing arts (Barbieri and Mahoney, 2010; Britton, 1991; Fillis and Lee, 2011; Hughes, 2000; Hume et al., 2006, 2007; Lim and Bendle, 2012; Sanchez et al., 2006; Saleh and Ryan, 1993; Song and Cheung, 2010; Van der Ark and Richards, 2006) and interviewing two separate groups of people. One group was composed of performing arts industry experts in Korea, who host foreign performing arts tourists. This group included a performance planner and the director of a cultural hall designed for the performing arts industry. The other group was composed of 20 Japanese tourists.

Three trained interviewers independently interviewed the two Korean performing arts professionals. They summarized the determinant attributes and their levels and conducted two discussions to confirm whether their interpretations were consistent. The results of these discussions confirmed the consistency in the interpretations.

A pretest was implemented using 20 Japanese tourists visiting Korea to watch a Korean performance. They were interviewed to examine their reasons for purchasing a performing arts product. Two interviewers, who were proficient in Korean and Japanese, conducted the interviews in cafes located in front of three performing arts theaters in Seoul. To alleviate sampling bias according to regional distribution of samples, the interviews were conducted with six teams of Japanese tourists from different large cities/regions including Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Fukushima, and Nagoya. Each interview was approximately 30–40 min and each team was made of two to four tourists. One complimentary ticket was given to each interviewee to help encourage responses.

The determinant attributes and levels that were considered in purchasing a Korean performing arts product were also examined. The interviewers translated the Japanese content to Korean after they recorded the interviews. Compilation of the translated contents was supervised by two instructors who studied tourism in Japan. They summarized their reasons for choosing a Korean performance during their visit. The important attributes and levels considered by the tourists when purchasing a Korean performing arts product were also summarized. The instructors interpreted the interview results by listing all interview responses, categorizing them, analyzing percentages, and developing tables. Once this process was completed, the two interviewers met again in order to confirm that the resultant attributes best represented the process.

The determinant attributes of Korean performing arts products as perceived by the 20 Japanese tourists and the two Korean performing arts professionals included genre, admission price, location of theater, and type of theater. The three levels for genre included ‘Korean traditional performing arts’, ‘Korean contemporary performing arts’, and ‘Korean pop music concert’. The three levels for admission price were ‘less than 4500 yen’, ‘between 4500 yen and 10,000 yen’, and ‘more than 10,000 yen’. Two levels were identified for the location of the theater, namely, ‘downtown Seoul’ (metropolitan tourist district) and ‘outskirts of Seoul’ (peripheral tourist district of the metropolitan city). The three levels for ‘types of theater’ were ‘exclusive theater’, ‘outdoor performance theater’, and ‘performance venue in a hotel’. Exclusive theater indicated a venue exclusively designed for Korean performances presented to foreign tourists.

SPSS software was used to generate 18 profiles of the orthogonal design. A pilot test was conducted with 25 Japanese tourists who were waiting for performances inside two performing arts halls in downtown Seoul in order to confirm whether the determinant attributes and their combination profiles were understandable to potential respondents. The results revealed the lowest category of admission price should be increased from 4500 yen to 5000 yen because of currency exchange variations. Outskirts of Seoul was subsequently defined as a location within 10 km from the boundary of Seoul. Beyond these changes, Japanese respondents who participated in the pilot test demonstrated a clear understanding of the 18 created profiles. Table 1 shows the final profiles.

Table 1.

Creation of profiles as a result of orthogonal design.

Profile	Genre	Admission price (Yen)	Location of theater	Type of theater
Profile 1	Korean pop music concert	5000–10,000	Downtown Seoul	Exclusive theater
Profile 2	Korean traditional performing arts	>10,000	Downtown Seoul	Exclusive theater
Profile 3	Korean pop music concert	<5000	Outskirts of Seoul	Performance venue in a hotel
Profile 4	Korean traditional performing arts	<5000	Downtown Seoul	Exclusive theater
Profile 5	Korean contemporary performance	<5000	Outskirts of Seoul	Exclusive theater
Profile 6	Korean contemporary performance	5000–10,000	Outskirts of Seoul	Exclusive theater
Profile 7	Korean traditional performing arts	>10,000	Outskirts of Seoul	Exclusive theater
Profile 8	Korean traditional performing arts	<5000	Outskirts of Seoul	Exclusive theater
Profile 9	Korean pop music concert	<5000	Downtown Seoul	Exclusive theater
Profile 10	Korean contemporary performance	>10,000	Downtown Seoul	Performance venue in a hotel
Profile 11	Korean traditional performing arts	5000–10,000	Downtown Seoul	Outdoor theater
Profile 12	Korean contemporary performance	<5000	Downtown Seoul	Outdoor theater
Profile 13	Korean traditional performing arts	<5000	Downtown Seoul	Performance venue in a hotel
Profile 14	Korean traditional performing arts	<5000	Outskirts of Seoul	Outdoor theater
Profile 15	Korean pop music concert	>10,000	Outskirts of Seoul	Outdoor theater
Profile 16	Korean traditional performing arts	5000–10,000	Outskirts of Seoul	Performance venue in a hotel
Profile 17	Korean traditional performing arts	<5000	Downtown Seoul	Outdoor theater
Profile 18	Korean traditional performing arts	>10,000	Outskirts of Seoul	Outdoor theater

Four attributes (factors) were identified, which included genre (having three levels), admission price (having three levels), location of theater (two levels), and type of theater (three levels). The 54 possible stimuli sets (combinations or profiles) were obtained by multiplying three levels by three levels by two levels by three levels. The inclusion of excessive stimuli sets in a questionnaire requires reducing the stimuli sets to a manageable level. The ORTHOPLAN option in SPSS, which uses an orthogonal design method, automatically generated 16 profiles. These were used in the estimation of part-worths while two holdout validation profiles were also generated. Table 1 lists the selected profiles. Using the BIB test approach and random selection, three profiles were randomly selected and assigned to each card.

The questionnaire was originally designed in Korean and translated into Japanese by a Korean-Japanese instructor who was fluent in both Korean and Japanese and had extensive knowledge of the survey methodology. Two Japanese faculty members and two graduate students of Japanese literature assessed the consistency of meanings of the translation between the original and translated scripts. A group meeting was conducted at the final stage of translation to confirm the completeness of the translation.

The main survey was administered to Japanese tourists in the Myeong-dong area and Gangnam region. These areas are popular for their performing arts halls, shopping malls, restaurants, and hotels. The survey was administered in coffee and bakery shops where Japanese tourists were relaxing over a drink or meal. The high participation rate could be attributed to prior permission obtained from shop owners and the provision of a facial beautification mask pack as a token of appreciation. The gift, which was equivalent to approximately US$6, and the highl level of interest the respondents had for Korean performing arts are likely why the participation rate was so high.

Of the 380 questionnaries distributed to potential participants, 30 were denied because respondents were not able to complete the entire questionnaire. These included 150 questionnaires from the Myeong-dong district and 200 from the Gangnam district in Seoul. A total of 309 questionnaires were used for further data analyses after excluding 41 questionnaires, which showed insincere or missing answers.

Results

Characteristics of respondents

A majority of the respondents (83.2%) were female and 68% had monthly incomes of less than 300,000 yen. More than one-third (39%) were between 21 and 30 years old, and the majority (74.1%) reported they visit performing arts theaters in Japan once or twice a year. The sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents were representative of the population as according to Korea Arts Management Service (2015), Japanese fandoms are characterized by Korean TV drama and music-influenced young females. More than one-fourth (25.8%) reported that they obtained information about Korean performing arts from travel agencies, while 24.2% obtained it from the Internet and 24.2% from friends and family. The respondents typically spent between 5000 yen and 10,000 yen (59.1%), less than 5000 yen (33.3%), or more than 10,000 yen (6.1%) when they have visited performing arts theaters in Japan.

The majority of the respondents visit performing arts theaters with friends (48.5%) and family/relatives (36.4%). Almost one-half (45.6%) prefer to watch nonverbal performances, b-boy shows, and drawing shows while 24.9% and 14.2% prefer to watch musicals and ballet in theaters, respectively. More than one-third (39.8%) stated their preferred performing arts tourism product in Korea would influence their willingness to revisit. More than half of the participants (54.7%) were visiting Korea for the first time.

Relative importance of attributes, rank, and part-worth coefficients for optimal performing arts products

Table 2 shows the relative importance of attributes, rank, and part-worth coefficients according to the levels of each attribute. The results of the conjoint analysis generated part-worth coefficients and averaged importance values that reveal the relative importance of the attributes considered by Japanese tourists when purchasing a Korean performing arts product. The resultant conjoint model produced a good fit as the values of Pearson’s R and Kendall’s tau were both significant (Pearson’s R = 0.911 (p < 0.001); Kendall’s τ = 0.850 (p < 0.001)). The average importance values were computed for each attribute, whereas the part-worth coefficients were generated per level of each attribute. A set of dummy coded vectors were then created to represent the four attributes used to represent Korean performing arts products.

Table 2.

Relative importance of attributes, rank, and part-worth coefficients.

Attributes	Relative importance (%)	Rank of relative importance	Levels of attributes	Part-worth coefficient
Genre	20.9	3	Korean traditional performing arts Korean contemporary performing arts Korean pop music concert	−1.065 −0.016 1.081
Admission price	42.9	1	Less than 5000 Yen Between 5000 Yen and 10,000 Yen More than 10,000 Yen	2.233 −0.058 −2.175
Location of theater	15.1	4	Downtown Seoul Outskirts of Seoul	0.775 −0.775
Type of theater	21.1	2	Exclusive theater Outdoor performance theater Performance venue in a hotel	1.428 −0.733 −0.695

Note: Pearson’s R = 0.911 (p < 0.001); Kendall’s τ = 0.850 (p < 0.001).

The average importance values for each attribute were calculated by taking the part-worth coefficient range for the particular factor and dividing it by the sum of all the part-worth coefficient ranges. The computed scores ranged from 0% to 100% and the sum of the averaged importance weights (%) was equivalent to 100. The highest prominent importance was associated with admission price (42.9%), followed by type of theater (21.1%), genre (20.9%), and location of theater (15.1%).

Table 3 shows the results of the analysis of the magnitude of part-worth coefficients based on the levels of each attribute. The part-worth coefficients observed for genre included Korean pop music concert (part-worth coefficient = 1.081), Korean contemporary performing arts (part-worth coefficient = −0.016), and Korean traditional performing arts (part-worth coefficient = −1.065). These indicate that Japanese tourists demonstrated the highest preference for Korean pop music concerts among the three examined genres.

Table 3.

Relative importance of attributes and part-worth coefficients according to marital status and educational level.

Attributes	Levels of attributes	Single* (N = 172)		Married** (N = 136)
Attributes	Levels of attributes	Part-worth coefficient	Relative importance (%)	Part-worth coefficient	Relative importance (%)
Genre	Korean traditional performing arts Korean contemporary performing arts Korean pop music concert	−1.326 0.167 1.159	22.51	−0.749 −0.230 0.979	18.23
Admission price	Less than 5000 Yen Between 5000 Yen and 10,000 Yen More than 10,000 Yen	2.491 −0.191 −2.300	43.39	1.909 0.118 −2.027	41.52
Location of theater	Downtown Seoul Outskirts of Seoul	0.776 −0.776	14.06	0.763 −0.763	16.09
Type of theater	Exclusive theater Outdoor performance theater Performance venue in a hotel	1.422 −0.632 −0.790	20.04	1.431 −0.859 −0.572	24.16
	Pearson’s R = 0.916 (p < 0.001); Kendall’s τ = 0.817 (p < 0.001). *Pearson’s R = 0.900 (p < 0.001); Kendall’s τ = 0.733 (p < 0.001).
		High school or below* (N = 82)		Some college or higher** (N = 195)
Attributes	Levels of attributes	Part-worth coefficient	Relative importance (%)	Part-worth coefficient	Relative importance (%)
Genre	Korean traditional performing arts Korean contemporary performing arts Korean pop music concert	−1.138 0.081 1.219	22.39	−0.957 −0.014 0.943	18.71
Admission price	Less than 5000 Yen Between 5000 Yen and 10,000 Yen More than 10,000 Yen	2.156 0.039 −2.195	41.33	2.325 −0.118 −2.207	44.63
Location of theater	Downtown Seoul Outskirts of Seoul	0.771 −0.771	14.66	0.779 −0.779	15.34
Type of theater	Exclusive theater Outdoor performance theater Performance venue in a hotel	1.439 −0.601 −0.838	21.63	1.407 −0.757 −0.650	21.31
	Pearson’s R = 0.891 (p < 0.001); Kendall’s τ = 0.812 (p < 0.001). *Pearson’s R = 0.922 (p < 0.001); Kendall’s τ = 0.800 (p < 0.001).

The part-worth coefficients for admission price were ‘less than 5000 yen’ (part-worth coefficient = 2.233), followed by ‘between 5000 yen and 10,000 yen’ (part-worth coefficient = −0.058) and more than 10,000 yen (part-worth coefficient = −2.175). A higher part-worth coefficient was found for location of theater for downtown Seoul (part-worth coefficient = 0.775) than in the outskirts of Seoul (part-worth coefficient = −0.775). For type of theater, the exclusive theater demonstrated the highest part-worth coefficient (1.428), followed by performance venue in a hotel (part-worth coefficient = −0.695) and ‘outdoor performance theater’ (part-worth coefficient = −0.733).

Thus, the results show that the most preferred Korean performing arts product set was a combination of less than 5000 yen, exclusive theater, Korean pop music concert, and downtown Seoul.

Relative importance of attributes and part-worth coefficients according to marital status and educational level

The results of the analysis of the relative importance of attributes and part-worth coefficients based on the differences in marital status are also displayed in Table 3. The two conjoint models showed good model fit with significant (p < 0.001) values of Pearson’s R and Kendall’s τ. Single respondents revealed the relative importance of attributes in the following order: admission price (43.4%), genre (22.5%), type of theater (20.0%), and location of theater (14.1%). The relative importance of attributes in the married group was admission price (41.5%), type of theater (24.2%), genre (18.2%), and location of theater (16.1%).

The highest part-worth coefficient for single respondents was Korean contemporary performing arts (part-worth coefficient = 0.167), followed by less than 5000 yen (part-worth coefficient = 2.491), downtown Seoul (part-worth coefficient = 0.776), and exclusive theater (part-worth coefficient = 1.422). The highest part-worth coefficient for the married group was Korean pop music concert (part-worth coefficient = 0.979), followed by less than 5000 yen (part-worth coefficient = 1.909), downtown Seoul (part-worth coefficient = 0.763), and exclusive theater (part-worth coefficient = 1.431).

Concerning the relative importance of attributes and part-worth coefficients based on educational level, the two educational group conjoint models revealed good model fit as the values of Pearson’s R and Kendall’s τ were significant at the 0.001 level. Respondents with a high school education or below indicated the relative importance of attributes on admission price (41.3%), genre (22.4%), type of theater (21.6%), and location of theater (14.7%). Those with college education or higher reported the relative importance of admission price (44.6%), type of theater (21.3%), genre (18.7%), and location of theater (15.3%).

The levels of each attribute based on the scale of part-worth coefficients showed that high school graduates or below indicated the highest part-worth coefficients on Korean pop music concert (part-worth coefficient = 1.219), less than 5000 yen (part-worth coefficient = 2.156), downtown Seoul (part-worth coefficient = 0.771), and exclusive theater (part-worth coefficient = 1.439). College students or those with higher educational levels indicated the highest part-worth coefficients for Korean pop music concert (part-worth coefficient = 0.943), less than 5000 yen (part-worth coefficient = 2.325), downtown Seoul (part-worth coefficient = 0.779), and exclusive theater (part-worth coefficient = 1.407).

Relative importance of attributes and part-worth coefficients according to age and income

Table 4 shows the results of the relative importance of attributes and part-worth coefficients based on age and income differences. The three conjoint models for the three age-groups generated a good model fit, as the values of Pearson’s R and Kendall’s τ were significant at the 0.001 level. Respondents in their 20s indicated admission price (42.2%), genre (24.6%), type of theater (20.0%), and location of theater (13.2%) as their most important attributes. Respondents in their 30s indicated admission price (49.8%), type of theater (19.5%), location of theater (18.1%), and genre (12.6%). Those in their 40s or older indicated admission price (38.4%), type of theater (25.3%), genre (20.9%), and location of theater (15.5%).

Table 4.

Relative importance of attributes and part-worth coefficients according to age and income.

Attributes	Levels of attributes	20s* (N = 121)		30s** (N = 69)		40s or older*** (N = 105)
Attributes	Levels of attributes	Part-worth coefficient	Relative importance (%)	Part-worth coefficient	Relative importance (%)	Part-worth coefficient	Relative importance (%)
Genre	Korean traditional performing arts Korean contemporary performing arts Korean pop music concert	−1.364 0.003 1.361	24.58	−0.735 0.169 0.566	12.58	−0.897 −0.159 1.056	20.86
Admission price	Less than 5000 Yen Between 5000 Yen and 10,000 Yen More than 10,000 Yen	2.393 −0.104 −2.290	42.24	2.706 −0.264 −2.442	49.77	1.731 0.130 −1.860	38.36
Location of theater	Downtown Seoul Outskirts of Seoul	0.733 −0.733	13.22	0.938 −0.938	18.14	0.723 −0.723	15.46
Type of theater	Exclusive theater Outdoor performance theater Performance venue in a hotel	1.427 −0.639 −0.787	19.97	1.336 −0.682 −0.682	19.51	1.488 −0.883 −0.605	25.33
	Pearson’s R = 0.913 (p < 0.001); Kendall’s τ = 0.850 (p < 0.001). Pearson’s R = 0.922 (p < 0.001); Kendall’s τ = 0.733 (p < 0.001). **Pearson’s R = 0.895 (p < 0.001); Kendall’s τ = 0.817 (p < 0.001).
		Less than 300,000 Yen* (N = 208)		300,001–400,000 Yen** (N = 47)		>400,001 Yen*** (N = 53)
Attributes	Levels of attributes	Part-worth coefficient	Relative importance (%)	Part-worth coefficient	Relative importance (%)	Part-worth coefficient	Relative importance (%)
Genre	Korean traditional performing arts Korean contemporary performing arts Korean pop music concert	−1.196 0.047 1.149	21.35	−0.871 0.167 1.038	19.82	−0.720 −0.100 0.820	19.14
Admission price	Less than 5000 Yen Between 5000 Yen and 10,000 Yen More than 10,000 Yen	2.488 −0.071 −2.417	44.66	2.117 −0.022 −2.096	43.75	1.383 −0.044 −1.339	33.84
Location of theater	Downtown Seoul Outskirts of Seoul	0.799 −0.799	14.55	0.636 −0.636	13.22	0.790 −0.790	19.64
Type of theater	Exclusive theater Outdoor performance theater Performance venue in a hotel	1.427 −0.712 −0.712	19.44	1.443 −0.793 −0.651	23.22	1.443 −0.759 −0.684	27.38
	Pearson’s R = 0.914 (p < 0.001); Kendall’s τ = 0.817 (p < 0.001). Pearson’s R = 0.919 (p < 0.001); Kendall’s τ = 0.800 (p < 0.001). **Pearson’s R = 0.878 (p < 0.001); Kendall’s τ = 0.845 (p < 0.001).

The magnitude of part-worth coefficients according to levels of each attribute was very similar based on age-groups. Respondents in their 20s indicated the highest part-worth coefficients on Korean pop music concert (part-worth coefficient = 1.361), less than 5000 yen (part-worth coefficient = 2.393), downtown Seoul (part-worth coefficient = 0.733), and exclusive theater (part-worth coefficient = 1.427). Those in their 30s reported the highest part-worth coefficients for Korean pop music concert (part-worth coefficient = 0.566), less than 5000 yen (part-worth coefficient = 2.706), downtown Seoul (part-worth coefficient = 0.938), and exclusive theater (part-worth coefficient = 1.336). The highest part-worth coefficients for respondents in their 40s were observed on Korean pop music concert (part-worth coefficient = 1.056), less than 5000 yen (part-worth coefficient = 1.731), downtown Seoul (part-worth coefficient = 0.723), and exclusive theater (part-worth coefficient = 1.488).

The results of the relative importance of attributes and part-worth coefficients based on the differences in monthly income are illustrated in Table 4. The three conjoint models for the three income groups produced a good model fit, as the values of Pearson’s R and Kendall’s τ were significant at the 0.001 level. Respondents with income levels of less than 300,000 yen indicated the relative importance of attributes on admission price (44.7%), genre (21.4%), type of theater (19.4%), and location of theater (14.6%). Those with income levels of 300,001–400,000 yen indicated admission price (43.8%), type of theater (23.2%), genre (19.8%), and location of theater (13.2%). Respondents with income levels of 400,001 yen or above reported the relative importance of attributes as admission price (33.8%), type of theater (27.4%), location of theater (19.6%), and genre (19.1%).

Respondents who earned less than 300,000 yen reported the highest part-worth coefficients on Korean pop music concert (part-worth coefficient = 1.149), less than 5000 yen (part-worth coefficient = 2.488), downtown Seoul (part-worth coefficient = 0.799), and exclusive theater (part-worth coefficient = 1.427). Respondents with incomes of 300,001–400,000 yen reported the highest part-worth coefficients on Korean pop music concert (part-worth coefficient = 1.038), less than 5000 yen (part-worth coefficient = 2.117), downtown Seoul (part-worth coefficient = 0.636), and exclusive theater (part-worth coefficient = 1.443). The highest part-worth coefficients for those with income of 400,001 yen or above were Korean pop music concert (part-worth coefficient = 0.820), less than 5000 yen (part-worth coefficient = 1.383), downtown Seoul (part-worth coefficient = 0.790), and exclusive theater (part-worth coefficient = 1.443).

Relative importance of attributes and part-worth coefficients according to occupation and their preferred time to watch a performance

Table 5 shows the calculations of the relative importance of attributes and part-worth coefficients based on differences in occupation and their preferred time to watch a performance. The four conjoint models for the four occupations all had good model fit. The relative importance of attributes for professionals was admission price (44.6%), type of theater (20.6%), location of theater (20.4%), and genre (14.4%). For company employees, the relative importance of attributes was admission price (48.1%), genre (19.7%), type of theater (19.1%), and location of theater (13.1%). Technicians and self-employed respondents placed relative importance on admission price (38.4%), type of theater (24.1%), genre (21.4%), and location of theater (16.1%). Housewives reported relative importance on admission price (39.2%), type of theater (23.9%), genre (23.2%), and location of theater (13.7%).

Table 5.

Relative importance of attributes and part-worth coefficients according to occupation and their preferred time to watch a performance.

Attributes	Levels of attributes	Professionals* (N = 40)		Company employees** (N = 88)		Technicians/self-employed*** (N = 68)		Housewives**** (N = 63)
Attributes	Levels of attributes	Part-worth coefficient	Relative importance (%)	Part-worth coefficient	Relative importance (%)	Part-worth coefficient	Relative importance (%)	Part-worth coefficient	Relative importance (%)
Genre	Korean traditional performing arts Korean contemporary performing arts Korean pop music concert	−1.923 0.641 0.283	14.43	−1.067 −0.014 1.080	19.73	−0.941 −0.185 1.126	21.36	−1.080 −0.197 1.277	23.18
Admission price	Less than 5000 Yen Between 5000 Yen and 10,000 Yen More than 10,000 Yen	2.514 −0.196 −2.318	44.56	2.769 −0.308 −2.461	48.06	1.800 0.119 −1.919	38.42	1.922 0.140 −2.062	39.18
Location of theater	Downtown Seoul Outskirts of Seoul	1.105 −1.105	20.38	0.713 −0.713	13.10	0.779 −0.779	16.09	0.698 −0.698	13.73
Type of theater	Exclusive theater Outdoor performance theater Performance venue in a hotel	1.369 −0.502 −0.867	20.63	1.331 −0.583 −0.748	19.11	1.495 −0.653 −0.842	24.14	1.523 −0.908 −0.615	23.90
	Pearson’s R = 0.946 (p < 0.001); Kendall’s τ = 0.817 (p < 0.001). Pearson’s R = 0.914 (p < 0.001); Kendall’s τ = 0.778 (p < 0.001). Pearson’s R = 0.891 (p < 0.001); Kendall’s τ = 0.817 (p < 0.001). **Pearson’s R = 0.892 (p < 0.001); Kendall’s τ = 0.795 (p < 0.001).
		Morning to 3:59 p.m.* (N = 36)		From 4 to 6 p.m.** (N = 75)		Dinner time*** (N = 81)		Night time**** (N = 117)
Attributes	Levels of attributes	Part-worth coefficient	Relative importance (%)	Part-worth coefficient	Relative importance (%)	Part-worth coefficient	Relative importance (%)	Part-worth coefficient	Relative importance (%)
Genre	Korean traditional performing arts Korean contemporary performing arts Korean pop music concert	−1.113 0.157 0.956	19.14	−1.279 0.018 1.261	23.58	−1.079 0.205 0.874	20.50	−0.909 −0.243 1.152	19.35
Admission price	Less than 5000 Yen Between 5000 Yen and 10,000 Yen More than 10,000 Yen	2.177 0.077 −2.254	41.01	2.346 −0.094 −2.252	42.67	2.028 0.097 −2.124	43.57	2.326 −0.184 −2.141	41.94
Location of theater	Downtown Seoul Outskirts of Seoul	0.944 −0.944	17.46	0.706 −0.706	13.10	0.635 −0.635	13.32	0.869 −0.869	16.32
Type of theater	Exclusive theater Outdoor performance theater Performance venue in a hotel	1.527 −0.634 −0.892	22.39	1.407 −0.817 −0.589	20.65	1.301 −0.854 −0.447	22.62	1.503 −0.622 −0.881	22.38
	Pearson’s R = 0.930 (p < 0.001); Kendall’s τ = 0.883 (p < 0.001). Pearson’s R = 0.907 (p < 0.001); Kendall’s τ = 0.833 (p < 0.001). Pearson’s R = 0.903 (p < 0.001); Kendall’s τ = 0.778 (p < 0.001). **Pearson’s R = 0.906 (p < 0.001); Kendall’s τ = 0.817 (p < 0.001).

Analysis of the magnitude of part-worth coefficients based on the levels of each attribute showed that professionals had the highest part-worth coefficients on Korean contemporary performing arts (part-worth coefficient = 0.641), less than 5000 yen (part-worth coefficient = 2.514), downtown Seoul (part-worth coefficient = 1.105), and exclusive theater (part-worth coefficient = 1.369). The highest part-worth coefficients for company employees were Korean pop music concert (part-worth coefficient = 1.080), less than 5000 yen (part-worth coefficient = 2.769), downtown Seoul (part-worth coefficient = 0.713), and exclusive theater (part-worth coefficient = 1.331). The highest part-worth coefficients for technicians or self-employed respondents were Korean pop music concert (part-worth coefficient = 1.126), less than 5000 yen (part-worth coefficient = 1.800), downtown Seoul (part-worth coefficient = 0.779), and exclusive theater (part-worth coefficient = 1.495). The highest part-worth coefficients for housewives were the combination of the following attributes: Korean pop music concert (part-worth coefficient = 1.277), less than 5000 yen (part-worth coefficient = 1.922), downtown Seoul (part-worth coefficient = 0.698), and exclusive theater (part-worth coefficient = 1.523).

Regarding the relative importance of attributes and part-worth coefficients based on preferred time to watch a performance, the four conjoint models for the four preferred time groups revealed a good model fit as the values of Pearson’s R and Kendall’s τ were significant at the 0.001 level. Respondents who answered morning to 3:59 p.m. as their most preferred time to watch a performance indicated the relative importance of attributes as follows: admission price (41.0%), type of theater (22.4%), genre (19.1%), and location of theater (17.5%). Respondents who chose 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. as their most preferred time to watch a performance indicated the relative importance of attributes in the following order: admission price (42.7%), genre (23.6%), type of theater (20.7%), and location of theater (13.1%). Respondents who identified dinner time as the most preferred time to watch a performance indicated the relative importance of attributes as follows: admission price (43.6%), type of theater (22.6%), genre (20.5%), and location of theater (13.3%). Lastly, respondents who preferred to watch a performance during nighttime reported the relative importance based on admission price (41.9%), type of theater (22.4%), genre (19.4%), and location of theater (16.3%).

Figure 1.

Research procedures.

Respondents who preferred to watch a performance in the morning to 3:59 p.m. reported the highest part-worth coefficients on Korean pop music concert (part-worth coefficient = 0.956), less than 5000 yen (part-worth coefficient = 2.177), downtown Seoul (part-worth coefficient = 0.944), and exclusive theater (part-worth coefficient = 1.527). Those who preferred dinner time to watch a performance indicated the highest part-worth coefficients on Korean pop music concert (part-worth coefficient = 0.874), less than 5000 yen (part-worth coefficient = 2.028), downtown Seoul (part-worth coefficient = 0.635), and exclusive theater (part-worth coefficient = 1.301). Respondents who indicated nighttime as their preferred time to watch a performance reported the highest part-worth coefficients on Korean pop music concert (part-worth coefficient = 1.152), less than 5000 yen (part-worth coefficient = 2.326), downtown Seoul (part-worth coefficient = 0.869), and exclusive theater (part-worth coefficient = 1.503).

Discussion and conclusions

The purposes of this study were to explore the determinant attributes considered by Japanese tourists in purchasing a Korean performing arts product, identify the relative importance within levels of the attributes, and investigate whether the determinant attributes and the relative importance within levels of the attributes differ based on demographic characteristics and preferred time to watch a performance. Based on empirical data analyses, the significant findings are as follows.

First, the most important determinant attributes that Japanese tourists consider in purchasing a Korean performing arts product were admission price (42.9%), followed by type of theater (21.1%), genre (20.9%), and location of theater (15.1%). This suggests that Japanese tourists are most sensitive to admission price when purchasing a performing arts product. When the price of performing arts product for foreign tourists is at about US$50–200, the amount can be an influential determinant of whether or not Japanese tourists buy the product. This revealed the importance of admission price in the decision to buy a cultural product, which has been supported by previous studies (Hargrove, 2002; Hume and Mort, 2008; Saleh and Ryan, 1993; Smith, 2003; Zieba, 2016). Thus, the performing arts theaters should be aware of the price sensitivity of their guests and try to provide additional value, beyond the performance purchased. The possible additional services that could be offered include meeting the stars after their performance, taking photos with the performers, creation of fan clubs, continuous updates to the website, and SMS communication.

Second, among the three genres, the Korean pop music concerts were found to be the most preferred genre. This finding is not surprising when taking into consideration both the worldwide popularity and the Japanese love for K-pop (Choi, 2016). Most Korean pop music concerts are led by singers in their teens or 20s and feature skillful dance, good-looking singers, flowery costumes, gaudy makeup, vibrant rhythms, and hi-tech stage settings (KOFICE, 2016; Korea Arts Management Service, 2015). This finding suggests that Korean theaters will be more successful with K-pop offerings than both traditional and contemporary performing arts offerings. It is not uncommon for different products to be more successful at different destinations. For example, in Aboriginal Cultural Villages, folk dances are more popular (Hunter, 2013), musicals are more popular in New York or London (The Broadway League, 2014), and traditional music concerts are more popular in Austria (Zieba, 2016).

Third, regarding level of the price, there was no discrepancy in the relative importance of the admission price attribute according to sociodemographic, travel experience, and performance usage experience characteristics. It was found that most respondents preferred the lowest category of the price, less than 5000 Yen (approximately US$50). This suggests that theater management would likely be best served to offer lower priced performances. Yet, the profit margins for these shows are likely lower. Thus, it is recommended that theater management examines ways to incorporate lower cost shows to increase demand, in hopes to increase their customer base. It is further recommended that advertising for more expensive shows, with explanation of why these shows cost more, be done onsite either before or after the lower priced shows.

Fourth, no differences were found in the relative importance of the location of theater attribute according to sociodemographic, travel experience, and performance usage experience characteristics. That is, most Japanese respondents preferred downtown Seoul to outskirts of Seoul for the location of theater. This result reflects those of past studies that have addressed the importance of location for theaters (Britton, 1991; Hughes, 2000). This finding could be due to Japanese tourists preferring the downtown area because transportation is easily accessible and more hotels are located there. Since past research has revealed the importance of safety for Japanese tourists (Agrusa and Kim, 2008), future research should determine if this is also a reason for this preference and if so, determine ways to increase the perceptions of safety in the outskirts of Seoul.

The theater location was relatively more important for those in their 30s, males, and those who make more than 400,000 yen, as these groups were more influenced by the location of the theater than the genre of the performance. This suggests that these Japanese markets would be more likely to make deliberate decisions based on location than the other groups. Yet, since location is the most difficult to change for theater management, more research is necessary in order to determine specifically why theaters outside of the city limits are less preferred, and how interest could be increased. As stated above, this could be due to perceptions of safety.

Fifth, the relative importance of the type of theater was not distinctive according to sociodemographic, travel experience, and performance usage characteristics. It was found that exclusive theater was more preferred by the Japanese respondents than an outdoor performance theater or performance venue in a hotel. Thus, marketing directed at Japanese tourists should focus on exclusive theaters. Yet, most performance companies are small-scale and are not strong financially (Fillis and Lee, 2011). Thus, they are less likely to have exclusive theaters. Consequently, the small-scale performance firms wishing to compete in this market will likely need to learn how to globalize their performances and make their venues bigger through entrepreneurial strategies.

Sixth, the highest preferred performing arts product, as perceived by Japanese performance tourists, was found to include the following attributes: Korean pop music concerts, less than 5000 yen, downtown Seoul, and exclusive theater, and the overall utility was 5.517 = 1.081 (Korean pop music concert) + 2.233 (less than 5000 Yen) + 0.775 (downtown Seoul) + 1.428 (exclusive theater). This reveals that key attributes, in order of importance for theater management, are as follows: lower price, exclusive theater, K-pop music, and downtown location. Thus, if theater management wanted to provide the most ideal product for Japanese visitors, the provision and marketing of these attributes will most likely be successful.

Implications, limitations, and suggestion for future study

Theoretical implications

The results of the current study offer theoretical implications to the tourism literature. Even though the performing arts have been studied in festival contexts, they have been neglected as an independent tourism commodity. The results of the current study revealed the performing arts tourists have different preferences for features of the product. These findings are in accordance with other segmentation studies which have revealed the performing arts customers have different needs or preferences based on the sociodemographic features (e.g. Kim et al., 2007; Kruger and Saayman, 2015; Sayre and King, 2003; Scollen, 2008; Zieba, 2016). Thus, the current study helps to explain the rationale and expectations of stakeholders, which allows for a better understanding of their potential decision-making processes.

It is a prevailing axiom in the marketing literature to develop customer-tailored products which can cater to their needs. However, most studies have been limited to analyzing tourists’ evaluation of existing products and suggesting subsequent problems. This study proposes the means for creating a new tourism product using multiple conjoint analysis steps. The results further revealed Japanese tourists’ most preferred performing arts product combinations for different types of respondents. This differences further aid in understanding the different choices various visitors make when consuming performing arts performances.

Practical implications

Practically, this study should be beneficial to other worldwide tourism destination or business marketers, even though this study was conducted in Asia. Since a primary goal of many tourism destination marketers is to develop products their markets desire, the conjoint procedures described in the current study should be useful to other destinations wishing to increase tourism demand. Cultural tourism programs have an advantage over mass tourism attractions, as they typically require smaller budgets to develop and market (Cetin and Bilgihan, 2016; Richards and Van der Ark, 2013). Thus, public tourism agencies or private companies could utilize this approach to create specific offerings for their varying targets. This is particularly important as most performance art companies are small scale, and marketing mistakes have a higher likelihood of causing bankruptcy (Choi, 2016). Additionally, since the performing arts are creative tourism products (Prentice and Andersen, 2003; Richards, 2014; World Bank Group, 2014), their development can be cost-effective and advantageous to cities or countries that lack heritage tourism resources or unique tourism attractions.

Limitations and suggestion for future study

As with all studies, the current study has limitations. Due to the amount of questions needed to conduct the conjoint analyses, the questionnaire became quite long, which likely was a primary cause of interviewees not completing the questionnaire. Another limitation is that the survey was only conducted in two districts in one country, so additional research is necessary in order to be able to generalize the results to other settings and destinations. The study was further limited in that a large percentage (82%) of respondents were females. According to a report of ‘2015 Hallyu White Paper’, performances such as musical are preferred by female tourists (KOFICE, 2016). While females have typically shown a higher preference for watching performance arts than males, future research should examine why these differences exist and attempt to have a more even distribution of responses for males versus females.

The conjoint models consisted of the services or facilities of performing arts. They did not consider motivational factors. Since the previous studies have indicated the role of motivation in attending performances (Hughes, 2000; Sarigöllü and Huang, 2005), future studies should identify whether respondents’ preferences differ according to their major motivational factors. Since the safety issues related to performing arts theaters and its surroundings are becoming more important, there is a need to consider this variable in future studies. Finally, this study did not thoroughly implement segmentation and identify features of the segments as suggested by Dolničar (2004), which is also an area in need of future research.

Footnotes

Declaration of conflicting interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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