Food and destination branding: towards a conceptual model

Human experience and curiosity have constantly led to tourism, which offers its audience distinct and unforgettable experiences. Consequently, tourists must fulfill their desire with the purpose and substance of material and physical existence in addition to the incentive of pleasure. Therefore, this aspect of tourism may be viewed as a revenue source. The present study aimed to investigate the factors affecting destination branding based on local food consumption. A total of 18 interviews were conducted to obtain tourists’ opinions about their local food experiences. The study used a mixed method, and the data were analyzed through a thematic approach. A model of destination brand including ‘local roots of food’, ‘perceived quality of food’, and ‘food popularity’ categories were proposed based on local food consumption. The participants were 368 tourists who filled in a researcher-made questionnaire developed based on the proposed model. The results of the structural equation modeling confirmed that local food affected the destination branding. In addition, the results revealed that food image, perceived quality of food, and food reputation affected destination branding. However, the perceived quality of food had the most impact on destination branding. Given that regional brands may be built as a competitive advantage of a place, businesses and governments view regional destination branding as more valuable and significant. Tourists may want more comprehensive information as they get to know the brand. As a result, it must become increasingly intricate and multifaceted to keep drawing tourists. Therefore, the present research intends to propose a thorough and integrated theoretical framework for this phenomenon by outlining new associations in the entire dimensions, identifying new concepts and effective factors, and supporting existing relationships and effective factors—thereby addressing gaps and enhancing them.