Tourist Attitudes, Satisfaction, and Advocacy in Local Food Tourism: Examining Gender’s Moderating Role

Given the increasing significance of food experiences in contemporary tourist destinations, this research examines the relationships among subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, health beliefs, attitude formation, tourist satisfaction, and advocacy behavior in the context of local food tourism. Using data collected from 300 Thai tourists in Phuket, structural equation modeling reveals a significant relationship among perceived behavioral control, health beliefs, and the formation of attitudes toward local food. Tourist satisfaction predicts advocacy behavior in local food destinations, while gender influences the relationship between tourist satisfaction and advocacy behavior, with such a relationship being marginally stronger among male tourists. Meanwhile, subjective norms do not significantly affect tourists’ attitude formation, indicating that social influence mechanisms may vary across contexts. These findings emphasize the need to improve tourists’ perceived control over their local food selections and effectively convey the health benefits of these selections to consumers. This study contributes strategic insights for destination stakeholders and marketing practitioners striving to enhance tourists’ local food experiences and stimulate their endorsement within gastronomic tourism settings. This study also provides practical recommendations for designing comprehensive food information systems that can enhance the present understanding of the role of tourist behavior in local food tourism.