The Effect of Local Food Authenticity on Tourists’ Behavioural Intentions: A Theoretical and Empirical Study

Abstract

Food has been recognised as a critical part of local culture and identity (Richards, 2002), and it plays an important role in the development of a destination image (Hjalager and Richards, 2002). As a result, it is important to understand tourists’ perceptions of food authenticity and how this affects their purchase behaviours and destination choice. Following the study by Sidali and Hammerling (2014), this thesis uses a conceptual framework consisting of two constructs—subjective authenticity and object-based authenticity—and argues that tourists’ perceived authenticity of local food influences their behavioural intentions. A total of 375 individuals responded to an online survey evaluating two local Japanese cuisines, Kobe beef in the city of Kobe and Kaiseki cuisine in Kyoto. A series of multiple linear regressions through SmartPLS, a software used in partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), were conducted to explore (a) the relationship between the perceived authenticity of local food and Taiwanese tourists’ behavioural intentions—willingness to consume, willingness to pay more, and willingness to visit—and (b) the mediating effect of place attachment in the relationship between the perceived authenticity and behavioural intentions. The results show that all hypothesized relationships were statistically significant and indicate that Taiwanese tourists’ behavioural intentions were significantly influenced by their perception of the local food’s authenticity. This study also confirms that place attachment mediated the relationship between Taiwanese tourists’ perceived authenticity and their willingness to visit a destination. Conclusions and implications are drawn based on these findings. The findings provide insights into the ways tourists perceive the authenticity of local food and could be useful for marketers promoting destinations and culinary tourism.