Food and Tourism Destination Image: Moderating Effect of Local Food Consumption

Authors

  • Nor Adilah Md. Zain School of Geosciences, University of Sydney
  • Mohd Salehuddin Mohd Zahari Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management Universiti Teknologi
  • Mohd Hafiz Mohd Hanafiah Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management Universiti Teknologi MARA

Keywords:

Local food, tourists, consumption, destination image

Abstract

This study aims to explore factors affecting destination image by focusing on local food and their actual consumption by the tourists. Theoretical concepts and research are lacking in explaining how local food work in destination branding and how actual consumption may affect destination image. By doing so, the study contributes to research on food image, local food experience, and destination image. This paper empirically investigates the moderating effect of the local food consumption on the relationship between food and destination image. The path analysis result shows that local food consumption moderates the relationship between tourist perception of local food and destination image. International tourists agreed that local food consumption, as part of the cultural resources undoubtedly amplify the image of Sabah as a tourism destination. The feedback and promising insights from the international tourists’ proved that authorities should take proactive action in promoting the local food of Sabah in addition to its core tourism products.

Author Biographies

Nor Adilah Md. Zain, School of Geosciences, University of Sydney

Nor Adilah Md Zain is a postgraduate student at the School of Geosciences, University of Sydney with interest in tourism product. She holds a Master’s Degree in Tourism Management from Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia. Her current research focuses on gastronomy tourism and medical tourism.

Mohd Salehuddin Mohd Zahari, Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management Universiti Teknologi

Mohd Salehuddin Mohd Zahari is a Professor in the Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA Puncak Alam, Malaysia. Most of his research is in qualitative social research and quantitative social research specifically in gastronomy and tourism management.

Mohd Hafiz Mohd Hanafiah, Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management Universiti Teknologi MARA

Mohd Hafiz Mohd Hanafiah is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Hotel & Tourism Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. He completed his PhD in Hotel and Tourism Management in 2016. He is an active author; authoring and co-authoring more than fifty research paper on tourism economics and tourism impact, mostly indexed by Scopus and Web of Science.

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Published

2018-03-19

How to Cite

Zain, N. A. M., Zahari, M. S. M. and Hanafiah, M. H. M. (2018) “Food and Tourism Destination Image: Moderating Effect of Local Food Consumption”, e-Review of Tourism Research, 15(1). Available at: https://ertr-ojs-tamu.tdl.org/ertr/article/view/162 (Accessed: 23 April 2024).

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 1 (2018)

Section

Articles

License

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