Effects of local food value on destinations; food image and tourists' behavioral intentions (recommend and revisit) - A case in Ho Chi Minh city food tourism
Abstract
Although the pivotal of understanding food value factors from travelers’ perspective is indispensable, there is just less than enough researches have figured out how food value factors can affect a destination’s food image and tourists’ behavioral intentions. The purpose of this study is to identify which food value factor has an impact on tourists’ perception about a destination’s food image and also their behavioral intentions including willingness to give recommendations for others and return to a destination in the context of Ho Chi Minh City’s food tourism. 306 questionnaires were collected by both offline and online methods. The findings reveal that the food value factors from tourists’ perspective adequately justify tourists’ perception toward Destinations’ Food Image, Intention to Recommend and Intention to Revisit. Additionally, different from respondents’ background somehow effect the relationship between proposed constructs. The findings offer insights into food tourism in Ho Chi Minh City and provide some practical implications for destinations’ officials or tourism firms in order to improve the quality of food tourism in general and promote destinations’ image in the context of food.
Keyword: local food, Destinations’ Food Image, food value factors, behavioral intention