Event Management, Vol. 15, pp. 197–211 1525-9951/11 $60.00 + .00 Printed in the USA. All rights reserved. DOI: 10.3727/152599511X13082349958352 Copyright  2011 Cognizant Comm. Corp. www.cognizantcommunication.com THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURE ON COMMUNITY PERCEPTIONS: THE CASE OF TWO SOUTH AFRICAN ARTS FESTIVALS E. SLABBERT and M. SAAYMAN Institute for Tourism and Leisure Studies, North West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa The purpose of this article is to analyze the influence of culture on the perceptions of the commu- nity regarding the impacts of events in two of the largest arts festivals in South Africa. The data were collected through structured questionnaires completed by community members during the 2007 and 2008 festivals. The samples [Grahamstown (2007), N = 264; Oudtshoorn (2008), N = 258) were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results indicated that there are differences between the cultural groups, although these are smaller than expected. Results also showed that the older the festival, the more immune the community becomes and the more tolerable. Added to this, the research revealed that a more focused measuring instrument is needed to determine in-depth cul- tural differences. Key words: Arts festivals; Events; Community; Participation; Social impact; Klein Karoo National Arts Festival; Grahamstown National Arts Festival Introduction ties. Therefore, it is important to attract as many tourists as possible to increase the economic bene- fits for the community (Douglas, Douglas, & Der- Successful destinations are those where visitors feel a complete sense of welcome—where the lo- rett, 2001). However, the host community is also a visitor to these festivals and events, and their cals smiling are not only those paid to do so. Yet, little energy is spent on creating reasons for locals attitudes and participation in the festival influence the sustainability thereof. Given the cultural diver- to smile (Slabbert, 2008). While often overlooked, the host community has an important stake in the sity of South African communities, it is difficult to adhere to the needs of different cultural groups tourism industry and is one of the most important role players when determining the success of tour- at a particular time with one festival. This is par- ticularly the case if these festivals have a specific ism products such as arts festivals (Arthur & An- drew, 1997; Derrett, 2003; Fredline & Faulkner, character and theme that focuses more on a spe- cific group in the community as is the case with 2002; Jago, Chalip, Brown, Mules, & Ali, 2002). Hosting festivals and events is seen as a mar- these two festivals—The Klein Karoo National Arts Festival (KKNF) is an Afrikaans festival and keting and developmental tool for many communi- Address correspondence to E. Slabbert, Institute for Tourism and Leisure Studies, North West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa. Tel: +27 18 299 1806; Fax: +27 18 299 4140; E-mail: elmarie.slabbert@nwu.ac.za 197