When memories generate loyalty: the perceived quality of Córdoba’s Courtyards Festival and its impact on visitors’ experiences and satisfaction

The Córdoba Courtyards Festival, declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2012, has bolstered tourism activity and the city of Córdoba’s international renown. This study analyzes the relationship between visitors’ perceptions of the event’s quality and the impact of these impressions on their emotional experiences, satisfaction, and future behavioral intentions. To this end, fieldwork was carried out at the 2022 edition of the Fiesta de los Patios (Courtyards Festival), with 586 valid surveys being obtained, to which a structural equation model (PLS-SEM) was applied to evaluate these interactions. The results show that perceived quality has a direct effect on tourists’ degrees of satisfaction and the quality of their emotional experiences. In addition, both their levels of satisfaction and the quality of their emotional experiences shape their intentions to revisit and recommend the event. These findings underscore the importance of management geared towards continuously improving quality to boost visitors’ loyalty and burnish the Destination image. This study has key implications for tourism management, highlighting the need for strategies that optimize perceptions of the event and guarantee memorable experiences.