Gastro-tourism well-being: the interplays of salient and enduring determinants

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to develop and test an integrated structural gastro-tourism wellbeing model consisting of food-related lifestyle and leisure attitude as a precursor of the consumption enjoyment of the gastro-tourism experience with satisfaction, life domain outcomes, tourism autobiographical memory and life satisfaction as outcomes of the consumption enjoyment. Design/methodology/approach The conceptual model was assessed with quantitative data collected from tourists based on their deliberate and incidental gastro-tourism experiences (N = 617). Findings The findings indicated that the enjoyment of gastro-tourism consumption experience significantly influences satisfaction, life domain outcomes, life satisfaction and tourism autobiographical memory. Life domain outcomes and tourism autobiographical memory have enduring influence on life satisfaction over time. Food-related lifestyle and leisure attitude are salient determinants of gastro-tourism wellbeing with their significant influence on consumption experience. Satisfaction with consumption experiences contributes to life satisfaction regardless of the experience type (deliberate versus incidental). Research limitations/implications This research extends our knowledge of tourism consumption experience in the domain of gastro-tourism as well as quality of life or wellbeing. Originality/value This research has offered an integrated framework to measure the interplays of salient and enduring determinants of gastro-tourism wellbeing. Future studies will benefit from this research as a baseline model linking consumption experience and life satisfaction.

The importance of food and beverages in wellness experiences: a cross-continental analysis of tourists' perceptions

“…In addition, given that some studies have shown how tourists change their dietary habits while on holiday (e.g. Santos et al, 2020), another line of research could be to explore whether consumer behaviors tied to F&B within wellness experiences (both hedonic and eudaimonic) are: (a) consistent with tourists' lifestyles (Kesgin et al, 2022) and (b) transformational to the point of influencing post-vacation attitudes toward food (Neuhofer et al, 2021).…”

“…By focusing the present study within the context of wellness tourism, we can contribute to filling the gap in the extant gastronomic tourism literature. At the same time, we explore the emerging topic of the relationship between food and wellness (Kesgin et al, 2022;Tiwari and Hashmi, 2022;Batat et al, 2019).…”

“…, 2022; Sthapit et al. , 2019), and satisfaction (Kesgin et al. , 2022) of the experiences, both in domestic (Sharma et al.…”

“…, 2019), additional research gaps can be identified. There are few studies that explicitly underscore the role of F&B-related activities and resources in the tourist wellness experience (Kesgin et al. , 2022; Suban, 2022; Han et al.…”

Guest editorial: Creating, managing and marketing gastronomy experiences in hospitality and tourism

“…The article of Kesgin et al (2022) represents the first attempt to link gastronomy tourism to life satisfaction. It describes the determinant of gastro-tourism well-being through a newly developed model, which considers food-related lifestyle and leisure attitude as antecedents of consumption experience and satisfaction in gastronomy experiences.…”