Factors Influencing Tourist Satisfaction with Local Cuisines in Vietnam

Abstract

The objective of this study is to identify culinary tourism destinations by identifying destination attribute factors based on the perception of tourists. Recognising the key and side aspects of a culinary tourism destination is essential to shape tourist experiences and tourism goals. To achieve this, the study developed a conceptual model and formulated measurement variables for the attributes of culinary tourism based on tourist ratings. A total of 174 questionnaire replies were received from domestic and international tourists visiting Quang Ninh. The proposed survey model contains five independent variables, one mediating variable and one dependent variable, plus four control variables. The independent variables provide a comprehensive overview of the five dimensions of the culinary destination characteristics: the physical environment, the social environment, the service environment, the culinary culture and the presentation of the food, comprising 23 indicators in total. A new aspect of this survey is to focus on how destination attributes affect the perception of culinary destinations by tourists. The study contributes significantly to the body of culinary tourism literature by clarifying the multidimensional structure and validating the scale of measurement of culinary tourism characteristics. In addition, it provides practical insights for destination marketing organisations and tourism management bodies to design effective positioning and brand strategies.