Effect of international food tourists’ food experiences on place attachment and behavioral intentions: The moderating role of food variety seeking tendency

This study aims to develop a framework for determining the underpinning factors behind international food tourists’ intentions for food-based visit behavior. Specifically, by engaging food tourists in a systematic study, this study investigates the direct and indirect predictive effects of food tourist local food experiences (LFEs), perceptions of experiential value (EV), and satisfaction with food experiences on place attachment (PA) and behavioral intentions (BIs). Data were collected using a questionnaire from 451 food tourists who participated in a food tour for a day or longer in Istanbul. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model. The findings demonstrate that LFE significantly influences EV, PA and satisfaction (SAS). Second, EV, PA and SAS were found to be significant predictors of BI. Third, food variety seeking (VARSEEK) was found to have a moderating effect between LFE and PA while weakening tourist PA. The study provides new insights into tourist dining experiences and offers a number of recommendations for destination managers and stakeholders to enrich tourist experiences.