Searching memories of pleasures in local cuisine: how nostalgia and hedonic values affect tourists' behavior at hot spring destinations?

Abstract

PurposeHistorically, hot springs have been regarded as hedonic and foodie destinations, yet the antecedents that affect tourists' intentions for local cuisine in hot springs remain unexplored. The present study aims to address this knowledge gap by considering the role of nostalgia and hedonic values in tourist food consumption.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 315 domestic tourists by intercept surveys conducted in the Beitou Hot Spring, Taiwan. Covariance-based structural equation modeling (SEM) and bootstrapping were used to test the hypotheses as well as mediating effects.FindingsNostalgia positively influences hedonic values, which affect tourists' intentions for local food consumption. Unexpectedly, nostalgia does not directly influence tourists' preferences due to complete mediation through hedonic values.Research limitations/implicationsGiven a growing number of young consumers visiting hot springs, hedonic experience is essential and more effective for pulling visitors and stimulating local food consumption than nostalgia vibes are. Cross-cultural samples and qualitative research are suggested for future studies.Originality/valueThe study demonstrates different levels of nostalgia in different ages. It highlights the mediating role of hedonic values between nostalgia and tourists' intentions for local cuisine in the hot spring destinations, which has been overlooked in previous studies. Originality is also established by simultaneously investigating hedonic values and behavioral intentions within the context of food tourism.

The Importance of Food Attributes and Motivational Factors for Purchasing Local Food Products: Segmentation of Young Local Food Consumers in Hungary

“…product-related factors are discussed in [30][31][32][33] nostalgia for shopping, fun, and memories of old times [29] health consciousness [34][35][36][37][38] quality of life and well-being [39] emotional values and motivations [40] hedonic: culinary tourism [41,42] togetherness and novelty of food [43] health consciousness, e.g., nutritional value [34,35,42] taste, freshness [30][31][32] togetherness and novelty of food [43] tourism products as purely hedonic consumption experiences [44,45] effective ways of creating hedonic and memorable experience [46] self-rewarding experience [47] support for local farmers, producers and retailers [48][49][50] environmental and social motivation [51][52][53] environmental concerns [51,54] animal welfare, environmental sustainability, supporting rural communities [55] animal welfare [56] community-oriented motivations and motivations for participation in a community-supported agriculture scheme [41,[48][49][50]57,58] local heritage [59,60] community-oriented motivations…”

Affective components of gastronomy tourism: measurement scale development and validation

“…interesting, authentic, fun, special and pleasant, which reflect an integrated sentimental response to gastronomy experiences. Compared to the general “fun and playfulness” theme of hedonic value (Chang et al , 2022; Overby and Lee, 2006), an emotion-based concept widely used in prior gastronomy experience studies, the TAGES illustrates a wider range of feelings triggered by gastronomy tourism. In addition to the stimulation of joy and entertainment, perceptions of interesting, authentic and special gastronomy experiences add to the highly emotive aspects of travel experiences.…”

“…Good food can simply make people happier and more relaxed. The underlying association between food and emotion motivates us to explore the affective aspect of travelers' gastronomy experiences (Chang et al, 2022). In light of the shortage of effective tools to measure travelers' gastronomy experiences, this initial step focuses on travelers' automatic, instinctive and holistic Gastronomy tourism reactions toward food during their trip.…”

How do food authenticity and sensory appeal influence tourist experience? The moderating role of food involvement

“…The choice of S–O–R as a theoretical foundation for this research is motivated by its use in prior studies related to tourists' food experiences (e.g., Chang et al, 2022; Şahin & Kılıçlar, 2022). In addition, S–O–R is regarded as a suitable theory for this study due to its ability to offer a relevant framework for grounding our research objectives.…”