ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study is to ensure the continuous and sustainable growth of the Innibos Arts Festival in South Africa while balancing the needs and demands of the visitors to the festival, the tourism industry as a whole, and the surrounding community with a focus on the environment. Continuous growth of festivals in South Africa is ensured as government supports and promotes this as part of its strategy for economic development. However, the sustainability of the festivals has come under scrutiny as many of these festivals compete for similar tourism markets. Destination managers and developers all over the world, but specifically in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, have identified the visitors, industry, community, and environment (VICE) model as a critical success factor in the sustainable development of any tourism destination. Equitable interaction among the VICE must occur before the tourism destination will be sustainable. The VICE model was used to identify the profiles, demands, and needs of the visitors to the festival; the role and impact of the event on the industry and businesses; the impact on the Nelspruit community and environment (where the Innibos Arts Festival is held); and how these elements should synergize with a view to ensure sustainability. Self-completion questionnaires were used to determine the sustainability of the festival. A total of 2,584 visitor surveys, 206businesssurveys,and520communitysurveys,whichincluded questions on the environmental concept, were completed over the past 5 years (2004–2008). The results of the study indicated that the VICE model was successfully utilized in the study of the Innibos Arts Festival. It highlighted critical areas in the different categories of the VICE model that require attention and development. The successful management and development of these critical aspects would ensure the sustainability of the festival. It can therefore be concluded that the VICE model can be utilized to ensure the sustainability of festivals.
