LAUSR

ABSTRACT Festivals have long been recognized by scholars for boosting the local economy through tourist visits. However, the shortage of theory-building studies in festival studies need to be addressed empirically. This study aims to conceptualize a model that describes how visitors have become loyal to grand festivals in the Philippines. Following the Glaserian grounded theory, 24 repeat Filipino festival-goers were invited for a semi-structured interview. Field texts were analysed via open, selective, and theoretical coding procedures to emerge a theoretical model. Interestingly, this study afforded the development of Repeat Visitors’ Festival Loyalty Theory. The emerged theory consists of four unique but interlocking phases of victimization, vitalization, valuation, and volition. Implications of the study’s findings and recommendations were also discussed.