Search results

This study aims to explore the impact of tourists’ perceptions of two rural destination attractiveness dimensions on tourists’ environmentally responsible behavioral intentions (ERBI). Further, the mediating effects of tourists’ green self-identity on the relationship between the perception of rural destination attractiveness and ERBI are investigated.

This study collected survey data from 188 tourists who had visiting experiences in rural attractions located in the Guangdong Province of China. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the proposed hypotheses.

The results found that rural destination specialty fresh food attractiveness perceived by tourists was positively associated with their ERBI. Moreover, tourists’ green self-identity positively mediated the perception of rural destination attractiveness and ERBI.

This study explains how the tourists’ perceptions of two rural destination attractiveness dimensions influence their ERBI. By exploring the mediating role of tourists’ green self-identity, this study also emphasizes the transforming mechanism from tourists’ perceived experience to their ERBI. The study provides insights into nature-based tourism destination management and sustainability practices.

The research objectives were to: (1) examine the relationship among motivations, satisfaction and loyalty with plant-based food dining at destinations; (2) determine if and how the attractiveness of eating plant-based foods moderates satisfaction and loyalty; and (3) investigate potential differences in visitor background information and consumption characteristics.

A survey was conducted at tourist attractions in southern Taiwan and 274 valid questionnaires were obtained. The relationships among motivations, satisfaction and loyalty were investigated when eating plant-based foods during travel. The moderating effects of food attractiveness on motivations and satisfaction/loyalty were measured.

The results indicated a positive relationship between motivations and satisfaction/loyalty in plant-based food dining. Motivations for plant-based food dining were comprised of four domains (physical, cultural, interpersonal and prestige) and satisfaction and loyalty had three (overall satisfaction, intention to revisit and intention to recommend).

The major implications were that motivations had a significant effect on satisfaction and loyalty; food attractiveness did not moderate the effect of motivations on satisfaction/loyalty; and background characteristics influenced satisfaction and loyalty.

Marketers and strategic planners for plant-based restaurants or those with plant-based meal options must make a greater effort to understand the distinctive demographic and dietary characteristics of the people who comprise the core of this market.

This research adds to the very limited literature on plant-based and vegetarian dining in tourism destinations. Furthermore, it tests, partially validates and expands a model by Kim et al. (2009) for consuming local food while traveling. The findings also complement the considerable evidence linking motivations to satisfaction and loyalty when dining.

This study investigates the impact of sensory food descriptors on restaurant menus on the intention to visit a restaurant and to spread positive word-of-mouth.

Drawing on the signalling theory and the assimilation-contrast theory, two online experiments and one field experiment test the assumption that food descriptors prompt food-quality inferences before and after consumption, and that in both stages, food-quality inferences prompt favourable behavioural intentions.

Sensory food descriptors impact positively on behavioural intentions through quality inferences, although not all aspects of food quality mediate this effect.

Not all four factors (deliciousness, visual attractiveness, variety and nutritiousness) prompt behavioural intentions to the same extent. While the signalling theory explains the positive impact of food-quality inferences on behavioural intentions before consumption, the assimilation-contrast theory explains the positive effect food-quality inferences have on the intention to revisit and word of mouth after consumption.

Managers should use either oral somatosensory descriptors alone, or in combination with flavour descriptors to prompt quality inferences and behavioural intentions.

The findings challenge the prevailing assumption that food descriptors addressing multiple senses have a superior effect on food-quality inferences compared to food descriptors stimulating only one sense. Instead, food descriptors referring to the texture, viscosity or mouthfeel of a dish, (i.e. oral somatosensory descriptors), impact on food-quality inferences, while adding flavour attributes did not have favourable effects.

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the negative impressions consumers hold toward institutional food can be remedied by subtle changes in menu descriptions. While an expectancy-disconfirmation explanation would suggest this, a negativity bias explanation would suggest otherwise.

The authors test the research question using an experimental 2 × 2 full factorial design, with data collected from 100 university students.

The results show that when hospital menus are made somewhat fancier in their description, consumers evaluate the food as more attractive and menu variation to be greater. This implies that the judgments are more likely to be based on an expectancy-disconfirmation process that on being subject to negativity bias.

The authors study perceived attractiveness and menu variation, but future research should include taste perceptions and consumption volume.

Institution managers could improve consumer perceptions of how attractive the food being served is, and the perceived variation in their menus, by subtly changing the course descriptions to become fancier. However, as such, a strategy based on an expectancy-disconfirmation process, institution managers should beware not to sweeten the pill too much, i.e., making promises they cannot keep may backfire if one makes the menus too fancy compared to what is delivered.

The authors extend current knowledge on menu label effects by addressing them for food suppliers, which are inherently associated with low food quality. The authors also show that when managers apply such strategies, the effect is due to a disconfirmation process rather than a negativity bias.

Meat overconsumption by tourists is one of the key issues in the sustainability of tourist destinations. The objective of this paper is to assess the impact that a promotion of meatless gastronomy and its actual increased availability would have on the attractiveness and visitation of a popular European urban destination.

The research uses an innovative foresight approach that combines environmental scanning and scenarios. The authors formulated the scenarios using the Delphi technique and working with 27 scholars whose insights into the topic were enhanced through theses that resulted from the environmental scanning. They provided their insights into how a promotion of meatless gastronomy would affect a destination. Subsequently, the authors synthetized their insights and formulated the scenarios.

Based on two defined scenarios, the authors found that a meatless image represents an opportunity for the future development of an urban European destination. A long-term growth in visitor numbers can be achieved while ensuring environmental, economic and socio-cultural sustainability providing that relevant stakeholders are involved in the promotional activities.

Management of tourists' unsustainable eating habits is currently an unexplored issue. The present research addresses this topic and provides valuable insights that will help to address sustainability issues while making tourism destinations more attractive.

Given the increasing importance of food in tourist activities and destination choice, the purpose of this paper is to reveal a comprehensive measurement scale to evaluate the image of destination food, adopting procedures recommended by previous studies.

The procedure in this study followed two steps: first, item generation including literature review and focus groups; and second, scale purification. Scale purification included exploratory factor analysis to derive an initial factor structure and reliability assessment and confirmatory factor analysis to test the theoretical factor structure and assess validity.

The scale development procedure yielded five dimensions of destination food image: “food safety and quality,” “attractiveness of food,” “health benefits of food,” “food culture,” and “unique culinary arts.”

This study contributes to the food-related tourism literature by measuring destination food image based on scale development processes using both cognitive and affective elements.

The results help practitioners understand the complex dimensions of destination food image and how destination marketing professionals can use this image to advertise a destination.

This study has value in measuring destination food image through scale development processes and integrating both cognitive evaluations and affective evaluations.

The gradual ageing of global population has necessitated the creation of conducive and supportive food and beverage environments for older adults. This study identifies the key evaluation criteria for senior-friendly restaurants and examines the importance of each criterion.

This study uses the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) to synthesis the key evaluation criteria for senior-friendly restaurants and analyses the weights of these criteria. It identifies and prioritises four main criteria and twenty sub-criteria in the hierarchical framework by employing the sophisticated approach.

The results indicate that the main criteria ranked by importance are “barrier-free environment”, “food quality”, “service quality” and “corporate social responsibility (CSR)”. There are five most important sub-criteria, such as “simple and intuitive use” and “perceptible information” belonging to the main criterion “barrier-free environment”, “hygiene and safety” and “food freshness” belonging to the main criterion “food quality” and “assurance” belonging to “service quality”. Incorporating the analytical findings, this study suggests the key evaluation criteria to facilitate the construction and development of senior-friendly restaurants.

The precisely hierarchical model and key criteria proposed in this study provide clear guidelines for managers of senior-friendly restaurants to develop feasible strategies and also contribute to the theoretical development of food-friendly environments and services for elderly consumers.

This paper seeks to describe the perceptions and motives for acquiring traditional and regional products by Polish consumers. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the state of regional and traditional food production in Poland and identify the prospects of its development.

Both secondary and primary data were used. The sample size included 1,067 respondents selected based on their place of residence and sex. The five-point Likert scale was used to measure the participant attitudes following the construction and validation procedure. Cronbach’s α test was used to evaluate the reliability of the measuring scale, estimated at 0.85, indicating the accuracy of the scales used. Statistica 13 – including t-test, ANOVA and regression analysis – was a software program used to carry out statistical analysis. Prior to the analysis, multivariate normality was examined by testing each variable for normal distribution.

The research showed the existence of a statistical relationship between the sex of respondents and the suggested traditional food consumption patterns such as organoleptic qualities, high quality, and finally, curiosity and trying new foods. Sex did not statistically influence the responses for the remaining factors.

The increased interest in traditional and regional food products is a manifestation of new food-related tendencies and is implied by the desire to exhibit behaviors and values resulting from cultural heritage. Polish consumers are becoming wealthier, better educated, more aware of both tangible and intangible product attributes, and they are having more opportunities to expose their social preferences when shopping. The importance of food attributes such as traditional and regional food certificates, source of origin or the image of the producer (e.g. respecting ethical behavior) is growing. This research is significant not only because of its theoretical input, but its applied value as well.

This study explores and compares the reasons for or against including situational triggers on the adoption of food delivery apps (FDAs) across lesser-researched Asian countries like India and the Philippines.

The study utilises a qualitative research methodology using focus group discussions and interviews across each country.

Respondents from India highlighted the importance of convenience, aggressive discounts, app service quality, fulfilment and multiple payment options as the key reasons for adopting the FDAs. However, these factors require redressal in the Philippines context. Also, the study findings highlight some country-specific requirements: in the Philippines, food packaging, cheaper options provided by the local convenience stores and lack of variety of food options; in India, the impact of parental beliefs and segregated vegetarian food delivery.

The study makes practical suggestions for consumer behaviour researchers, developers and marketers of FDAs who are confronted with challenges in app development for a multi-cultural audience and to ensure growth and the adoption of the FDAs across the two countries.

This is one of the first studies to compare diverse national markets to uncover differences and similarities in the factors impacting the adoption of FDAs. The results highlight the impact of varying levels of evolution of FDAs and social, technological and cultural contextual differences on the adoption of the FDAs across India and the Philippines.

Developing an effective destination branding strategy in places that have a negative image is still a difficult challenge to overcome for place marketers. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyze how developing and promoting a new cuisine can transform a negative destination image into a positive one. The main premise is that food can be an effective way of rebranding a destination.

The research method used for this exploratory study was the qualitative content analysis of 50 articles from newspapers and magazines in English and websites from the Mexican tourism boards websites.

The results of the qualitative content analysis showed that local chefs (who are proud of their city and aim to promote their cuisine through the use of local products and the organization of food events) are fundamental for the development of a new and successful cuisine able to change the negative image of a destination.

The paper provides an innovative approach to destination image restoration by analyzing local gastronomy as an important means to offset the negative media projection of a damaged destination image.