Local Culinary Experiences in Shaping Gastronomic Satisfaction and Future Intention: Perspectives of Domestic Tourists

In todays competitive tourism landscape, local cuisine has emerged as a key factor in attracting tourists by offering unique sensory experiences and providing insights into the cultural heritage of a region. As tourists become increasingly motivated by local culinary experiences, understanding their satisfaction and
the likelihood of revisiting the destination becomes critical for tourism development. The aim of this study is to assess whether local culinary experiences significantly influence gastronomic satisfaction and future intention to revisit destinations. This correlation study focuses on the relationship between local culinary experiences, gastronomic satisfaction, and tourists’ intention to revisit, with gastronomic satisfaction serving as a potential mediator. Non-probability convenience sampling method was employed by distributing questionnaires to 360 domestic tourists who were visiting Manado, Makassar, Balikpapan, Banjarmasin,
Kupang dan Lombok . Data were collectedandanalyzed using SEM-PLS to evaluate the correlation among the constructs. The findings reveal that local food experiences (local food attributes, epistemic benefits, and emotional benefits) significantly enhance gastronomic satisfaction. However, only emotional benefits have a direct impact on future intention, while local food attributes and epistemic benefits do not significantly influence tourists intention to revisit the destination. The study underscores the role of local culinary experiences in shaping tourists satisfaction and intention, suggesting that stakeholders in culinary tourism should focus on enhancing the emotional and overall satisfaction of visitors.