The Ulaanbaatar Naadam festival: differences in motivation and satisfaction for overseas and domestic visitors

The study investigates visitor motivation for attending the 2005 Naadam Festival in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. It identifies motivation variance on the basis of socio-demographic variables and examines the factors of significance with regard to visitor satisfaction and intention to revisit the festival. Five motivation dimensions, consistent with those identified in previous research, were identified. The horse riding and wrestling events were the most satisfying aspects of the festival from the visitor perspective, followed by Naadam's uniqueness, the opening ceremony and the authenticity of the festival. Significant differences in motivation dimensions, satisfaction and intention to revisit the festival were found on the basis of visitor origin, gender and age. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.