Local food consumption values and attitude formation: the moderating effect of food neophilia and neophobia

Abstract

PurposeThe local food tourism in Pakistan is increasing rapidly, and it attracts scholars to determine the factors affecting local food tourists' buying choices. Particularly, the authors aim to investigate the role of food consumption values on predicting domestic tourists' attitude toward local food and its effect on the intention to try local food with the moderating effect of personality traits (neophobia and neophilia).Design/methodology/approachThe authors tested the study model on 250 completed responses from local food tourists. They collected the data from three tourism locations (Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Peshawar) in Pakistan. Their study utilizes the consumption value theory within the limits of Pakistan's local food tourism.FindingsThe empirical findings show that consumption values, such as price, emotion, interaction, epistemic value, location value and variety value, effectively explain the domestic tourists' attitude toward local food. The authors further report that food neophilia strengthens the local tourists' positive reception toward the local food. However, food neophobia weakens the direction between local tourists' attitude toward local food and the intention to try local food.Practical implicationsThis study provides insights pertaining to tourists' local food consumption values (LFCVs) to a local destination owner and marketing manager to strategically work on LFCVs that are crucial for domestic tourists to derive their intention to try local food. Practitioners should work on domestic tourists who possess food neophobia trait and enquire them for their rejection or avoidance of a particular local destination. This will enable practitioners to bring innovation and development in the local destination, which ultimately promote local food tourism.Originality/valueThis study is the first to incorporate the variety and local value in tourists' LFCVs to predict local tourists' attitude toward local food. Additionally, the authors contribute to local food tourism by empirically studying the moderating role of personality traits (food neophilia and food neophobia) to examine the direction between local tourists' attitude and intention to local food.

International tourists’ local African food consumption

“…Previous studies found that diners who acquire positive emotional benefits perceive values such as self-esteem and interest in strengthening social bonds (Hussain et al, 2022;Soltani et al, 2020). Tey et al (2018) found that the benefit of maintaining health is associated with consumption values such as meaningful life, longevity and sense of accomplishment, whereas enlightenment is associated with happiness.…”

“…Perceived local food benefits can lead to consumption values because tourists assess utility from food consumption based on the benefits derived (Soltani et al , 2020). Through tasting local food, tourists can derive emotional benefits including satisfaction, pleasure, relaxation and excitement (Hussain et al , 2022; Baah et al , 2019). Also, they can seek epistemic benefits such as the discovery of novel local food, understanding a new culture and experiencing different food tastes (Badu-Baiden et al , 2022; Correia et al , 2020).…”

“…Some researchers have found that local food attributes, including terms such as authentic, good-quality, delicious and high-quality service in local restaurants, contribute to personal happiness, understanding unknown cultures and selfachievement (Hussain et al, 2022;Kim et al, 2022). Hussain et al (2022) found that food tourists who experienced local foods associated consumption values with positive emotions, healthiness, high social status and knowledge-gaining. Kim and Choe (2019) made similar observations as they revealed happiness, healthy living, fun and enjoyment, social bond, self-achievement, love for families/friends and understanding of another country as the relevant local food consumption values.…”

“…Tourists' perceptions of local food attributes can lead to perceptions of local food consumption value because tourists derive utility from tasting local food (Choe and Kim, 2019;Rousta and Jamshidi, 2020). Some researchers have found that local food attributes, including terms such as authentic, good-quality, delicious and high-quality service in local restaurants, contribute to personal happiness, understanding unknown cultures and selfachievement (Hussain et al, 2022;Kim et al, 2022). Hussain et al (2022) found that food tourists who experienced local foods associated consumption values with positive emotions, healthiness, high social status and knowledge-gaining.…”

Chaordic destination image formulation through gastronomy perspectives: evidence from Greece

“…While existing literature provides an understanding on how food-related personality traits affect various aspects on the behaviour of travellers, there is an evident gap of knowledge in the ways food-related personality traits affect perceptions of a gastronomic destination image (Chang and Mak, 2018; Hsu and Scott, 2020; Hussain et al , 2022). In addition, the current tourism research predominantly uses linear examination for the themes under evaluation (Pappas and Glyptou, 2021).…”