Social Impacts of the Tawau International Cultural Festival on Local Community Wellbeing: Benefits and Costs

The Tawau International Cultural Festival, held annually, has a substantial impact on the local community by promoting social interaction, nurturing cultural pride and encouraging community participation. Nevertheless, this commemoration of cultural diversity also presents obstacles, such as traffic congestion, increased pollution levels, and potential disturbances caused by large crowds. The primary goal of this research is to examine the social benefits and costs associated with the Tawau International Cultural Festival and their consequent impact on the local community's overall wellbeing. A total of 206 data were obtained through judgmental sampling on-site. The festival's substantial positive influence on the quality of life of residents is substantiated by the results. In addition, this festival provides an invaluable opportunity for locals to commemorate with their social circles, which may include friends, relatives and even new acquaintances, thus facilitating the renewal of existing connections and the development of new relationships.

Social Benefits, Social Costs, Social Impact

1. Aguado, L. F., Arbona, A., Palma, L., & Heredia-Carroza, J. (2021). How to value a cultural festival? The case of Petronio Álvarez Pacific Music Festival in Colombia. Development Studies Research, 8(1), 309– 316. https://doi.org/10.1080/21665095.2021.1979417 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Ahn, Y., Kang, E. M., Kiatkawsin, K., & Zielinski, S. (2023). Relationships between Community Festival Participation, Social Capital, and Subjective Well-Being in a Cross-Cultural Context. Healthcare, 11(16), 2361. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11162361 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Alfandi, G. R. (2015). Investigating risk management capability of construction firms in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/bitstream/2438/13580/1/FulltextThesis.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Chiciudean, D. I., Harun, R., Muresan, I. C., Arion, F. H., & Chiciudean, G. O. (2021). Rural Community- Perceived benefits of a music festival. Societies, 11(2), 59. https://doi.org/10. 3390/soc11020059 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Choi, S., Imon, S. S., & Couto, U. (2020). Negotiating with Authenticity to Ensure Sustainability of Traditional Cultural Festivals: Residents’ Perspectives about Macao’s Drunken Dragon Festival. Sustainability, 12(3), 885. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12030885 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Cohen, J. (1990). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. Computers Environment and Urban Systems, 14(1), 71. https://doi.org/10.1016/0198-9715(90)90050-4 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Dahal, B. P. (2020). Society, Socialization and Social Order through the Hindu Festivals in Nepal. Global Journal of Human-Social Science, 19. https://doi.org/10.34257/gjhsscvol20is5pg19 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Davies, A. (2015). Life After a Festival: local leadership and the lasting legacy of festivals. Event Management, 19(4), 433–444. https://doi.org/10.3727/152599515x14465748512524 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Gration, D., Arcodia, C., Raciti, M., & Stokes, R. (2011). The Blended Festivalscape and its Sustainability at Nonurban Festivals. Event Management, 15(4), 343. https://doi.org/10.3727/152599511x13175676722564 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Hair, J. F., Howard, M. C., & Nitzl, C. (2020). Assessing measurement model quality in PLS-SEM using confirmatory composite analysis. Journal of Business Research, 109, 101–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.11.069 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., Danks, N. P., & Ray, S. (2021). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using R. In Classroom companion: business. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80519-7 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Jenkins, D. G., & Quintana-Ascencio, P. F. (2020). A solution to minimum sample size for regressions. PLoS ONE, 15(2), e0229345. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229345 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Kamal, A. M. A. (2019). Intangible Cultural Heritage as a Tool for Community Empowerment: A Case Study of the Date Palm Festival in Siwa Oasis, Egypt. Ottoman Journal of Tourism and Management Research, 4(1), 361. https://doi.org/10.26465/ojtmr.2018339516 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Lian, X., Li, D., Di, W., Oubibi, M., Zhang, X., Zhang, S., Xu, C., & Lu, H. (2022). Research on Influential Factors of Satisfaction for Residents in Unit Communities—Taking Ningbo City as an example. Sustainability, 14(11), 6687. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116687 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Luong, T., & Nguyen, D. T. A. (2025). Festival travel Motivation, destination image, Attitude, and Behavior: The role of Festival Identity in Vietnam. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 1– 29. https://doi.org/10.1080/1528008x.2025.2466065 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Michalski, C., Ragunathan, A., Foster, A., Pagalan, L., Chu, C., Diemert, L. M., Helliwell, J. F., Urajnik, D., Speidel, R., Malti, T., Fierheller, D., Fusca, L., Zenlea, I., McKean, S., & Rosella, L. C. (2023). PLoS ONE, 18(11), e0294721. https://doi.org/10.1371/ journal.pone.0294721 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Mucci, N., Traversini, V., Lorini, C., De Sio, S., Galea, R. P., Bonaccorsi, G., & Arcangeli, G. (2020). Urban Noise and Psychological Distress: A Systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(18), 6621. https://doi.org/10.3390/ ijerph17186621 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Negruşa, A., Toader, V., Rus, R., & Cosma, S. (2016). Study of perceptions on cultural events’ sustainability. Sustainability, 8(12), 1269. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8121269 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Nongsiej, P., & Lakavath, M. (2019). Factors that motivate tourists in visiting the cultural festivals: A study of Meghalaya region festivals. Turizam, 23(4), 166. https://doi.org/10.5937/turizam23-22766 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Osei, Dr. C. E., & Addei, C. (2018). An Analysis of the Aboakyer Festival as Drama. Journal of English Language and Literature, 10(1), 989. https://doi.org/10.17722/jell.v10i1.391 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Ramesh, S. (2024). The economic impact of music festivals: cultural events and local commerce. https://doi.org/10.55529/jhmd.45.41.50 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Reidy, D. E., Huntington, C., Smith, H. W., Bogen, K. W., Estefan, L. F., & Orchowski, L. M. (2020). Community-level risk & protective correlates of violent crimes. Preventive Medicine, 142, 106380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2020.106380 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Richards, G., & King, B. (2022). The experience of cultural festivals: evidence from Hong Kong. Journal of Policy Research in Tourism Leisure and Events, 14(3), 296–309. https://doi.org/10.1080/19407963.2022.2033249 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Rutagand, E. (2024). The role of cultural festivals in promoting social cohesion and cultural understanding. International Journal of Humanity and Social Sciences, 3(2), 13–25. https://doi.org/10.47941/ijhss.2077 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Suharto, B., & Jamali, M. (2023). Sustainable Festival Practices: Addressing Community Issues And Promoting Wellbeing. Journal of Law and Sustainable Development, 11(12). https://doi.org/10.55908/sdgs.v11i12.2316 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Sun, C., Tan, G., Chai, X., & Zhang, H. (2023). Analysis on the satisfaction of public cultural service by township residents: A Qualitative perspective. Sustainability, 15(9), 7302. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097302 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Ukpokolo, F. C., Okoye, O. C., & Lawuyi, O. B. (2018). Cultural Reconstruction of Iwa Ji Festival in Igbo- Ukwu, and Fractured Igbo Identity. Synthesis Philosophica, 33(1), 149. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33109 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Viola, E., Martorana, M., Ceriotti, D., De Vito, M., De Ambrosi, D., & Faggiano, F. (2024). The effects of cultural engagement on health and well-being: a systematic review. Frontiers in Public Health, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1369066 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Wang, B., He, S., Min, Q., Cui, F., & Wang, G. (2021). Influence of residents’ perception of tourism’s impact on supporting tourism development in a GIAHS site: the mediating role of perceived justice and community identity. Land, 10(10), 998. https://doi.org/10.3390/land 10100998 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Yolal, M., Gursoy, D., Uysal, M., Kim, H., & Karacaoğlu, S. (2016). Impacts of festivals and events on residents’ well-being. Annals of Tourism Research, 61, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1016 /j.annals.2016.07.008Zarębski, P., & Zwęglińska-Gałecka, D. (2020). Mapping the Food Festivals and Sustainable Capitals: Evidence from Poland. Sustainability, 12(24), 10283. https://doi.org/10.3390/ su122410283 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• The Indirect Effect of Liquidity and Activity on Company Value with Profitability as an Intervening Variable
• Effect of Financial Skills, Knowledge, and Attitude on The Financial Behaviour of Clergy
• A Decade of Review: Trends in Budget Execution and Financial Performance of Development Projects in Tanzania (2014/15-2023/24)
• The Influence of Pre-Project Planning on the Budget Absorption Rate of Public Funded Infrastructure Projects in Kenya a Comparative Case Study of Narok, Migori, and Kisii County Government Projects
• Assessment of Factors Influencing Digital Transformation in Hotels’ Facility Management in Abuja Metropolis, Nigeria