Constraints and Facilitators, Universal Design, and Event Experience: Accessibility of Facilities at a Food Festival

Accessibility barriers in festivals inhibit engaging festival experiences for the general public. This study aimed to examine the accessibility of facilities at the Macau Food Festival (MFF) by applying the theories of leisure constraints and facilitators, leisure negotiation, and universal design (UD) principles. Participant observation and qualitative semistructured interviews with 25 festival participants were conducted. Findings revealed mixed perceptions of the facilities. Several aspects such as unclear festival layout and insufficient toilets were contrary to UD principles and constrained visitors’ engagement. However, online payment devices and shuttle buses facilitated festival engagement. Accessibility played an important role in influencing visitors’ experiences and behavioral outcomes such as revisit intention, word-of-mouth, and leisure negotiation strategies. This study provides a new approach for evaluating the accessibility of facilities in food festivals. Practical implications regarding accessibility of festival and event facilities are suggested along with numerous avenues for future research.