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The impact of COVID-19 on destination visit intention and local food consumption

Bekir Bora Dedeoğlu (Tourism Guiding Department,Tourism Faculty, Nevsehir Haci Bektas Veli University, Nevsehir, Turkey)
Marcello Mariani (Henley Business School, University of Reading, Reading, UK) (Department of Management, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy)
Fangfang Shi (Surrey International Institute, Dongbei University of Finance and Economics, Dalian, China)
Bendegul Okumus (Food Service and Lodging Department, Rosen College of Hospitality Management, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA)

British Food Journal

ISSN: 0007-070X

Article publication date: 5 January 2022

Issue publication date: 14 January 2022

1266

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the relationships between motivation and intention to consume local food and between intention to consume local food and intention to visit the destination of that food's origin while examining the moderating effect of risk perception associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from two samples of potential Chinese tourists in the contexts of Italian and Thai food. Data obtained from 264 Chinese respondents for Italian food and 277 Chinese respondents for Thai food were analyzed. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was utilized to test the research model.

Findings

The results indicate that, while motivational factors such as cultural experience, novelty and sensory appeal influence potential Chinese tourists' intention to consume Italian food, motivational factors such as cultural experience, health concern, novelty and sensory appeal influence tourists' intention to consume Thai food. The authors found that intention to consume local food positively influences tourists' intention to visit both destinations (Italy and Thailand). Moreover, tourists' risk perceptions of COVID-19 negatively moderate the effect of cultural experience and novelty on the intention to consume Italian food. Regarding the intention to consume Thai food, the authors found that tourists' risk perceptions have a diminishing effect on all motivational factors.

Originality/value

This pioneering study examines the role of COVID-19-related risk perception on the relationships among motivation of local food consumption, intention of local food consumption and destination visit intention in the context of two destination countries. It reveals cross-country differences of the negative effect pertaining to the risk perceptions of COVID-19, which has important implications for international destination marketing.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Funding: This work was supported by Scientific Research Fund of the Education Department of Liaoning Province, China Grant No. LN2020Q18.

Disclosure statement: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Citation

Dedeoğlu, B.B., Mariani, M., Shi, F. and Okumus, B. (2022), "The impact of COVID-19 on destination visit intention and local food consumption", British Food Journal, Vol. 124 No. 2, pp. 634-653. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-04-2021-0421

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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