Despite their enormous potential in fostering the well-being of immigrants, diaspora festivals have received little attention in tourism and event scholarship. This study aims to bridge this gap by exploring the well-being experiences of Ethiopian diaspora community members through their participation in four festivals. Using constructivist grounded theory, five domains of eudemonic well-being outcomes applicable to diaspora festivals are identified: identity maintenance, homeland attachment, homeland memories, meaningful participation, and relationship with homeland people. Each domain is found to correlate with various established eudemonic well-being elements, including a sense of purpose, achievement, positive relationships, personal growth, and engagement. The findings of this study contribute to enhancing our understanding of eudemonic well-being, guide future well-being studies in this context, and lay the foundation for further research in event scholarship. Moreover, The practical and policy implications of this study are substantial. The findings can provide valuable insights for event management and development, improve tourism and event marketing strategies in both countries hosting migrants and countries of origin, and enable the effective utilization of migrants' skills and talents in the host nation. In the end, this study can also be beneficial for migrants who are seeking to enhance their well-being.

Speaker

Ermias Kifle Gedecho (School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University)
Dr. Ermias Kifle Gedecho is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He obtained his Doctoral degree from the same university in 2022 and has since been actively involved in research and academia. With over ten years of experience in higher educational institutions in Ethiopia, Dr. Gedecho has held various academic positions, gaining a diverse range of knowledge and skills. His research interests lie in the field of tourism, event, and hospitality management, and he has contributed to the field through publishing papers in peer-reviewed journals.