As festivals increasingly adopt edutainment to promote sustainability, understanding how attendee profiles influence the reception of these initiatives is vital. This exploratory pilot study assessed how place attachment and pro-environmental behaviours (PEAB) influenced perceptions of marine conservation initiatives and future loyalty at the Festival de Salinas, Spain. A quantitative approach was employed, using a semi-structured questionnaire (N = 52) administered after the 2025 festival. Data were analysed through Confirmatory Exploratory Factor Analysis (CEFA) and multiple regressions. Findings revealed high scores for place and festival attachment, conservation attitudes, and perceptions of the Aula del Mar educational programme at the festival. Regression models showed that perceptions of the Aula del Mar significantly predicted the perceived festival’s identity as an awareness platform, while attachment and conservation attitudes drove future behavioural intentions. The results suggest that the festival successfully avoids the “awareness-interest gap” by integrating science into the event’s core identity. In practice, this provides organisers with a mandate to pursue “green” sponsorships and innovative financing, such as conservation levies, that align closely with the audience.
Lucrezi et al. (Thu,) studied this question.