Application of the New Visit Intention Model for Gastronomy Tourism: An Empirical Study in Vietnam

The study aims to address research gaps in Vietnam’s gastronomy tourism by developing and validating a new visit intention model based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). The model incorporates the concepts of gastronomic destination image and novelty-seeking to gain a comprehensive understanding of domestic tourists’ intention to visit Ho Chi Minh City, a leading gastronomic destination in Vietnam. Primary data were collected from 417 domestic tourists through a questionnaire survey conducted in Ho Chi Minh City from April to August 2023. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the proposed model and examine the relationships among novelty seeking, gastronomic image, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and visit intention. The findings indicate that novelty-seeking, gastronomic image, and the core TPB constructs play a crucial role in explaining the intention to visit a gastronomic destination. The model explains 71.2% of the variance in visit intention, with domestic tourists’ visit intention being strongly influenced by the desire for novel culinary experiences and the attractiveness of Ho Chi Minh City’s gastronomic image. This study reaffirms the applicability of the extended TPB framework in explaining visit intention toward gastronomy destinations. The significant findings provide empirical evidence from Vietnam, clarifying how novelty-seeking and gastronomic image strengthen visit intention. The study also provides practical guidance for local authorities and tourism marketers to enhance Ho Chi Minh City’s competitiveness and support sustainable tourism development goals (SDG 11).