Authenticity, Quality, and Loyalty: Local Food and Sustainable Tourism Experience

Tao Zhang, Junyu Chen and Baoliang Hu
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Tao Zhang: Faculty of International Tourism and Management, City University of Macau, Taipa 999078, Macau, China
Junyu Chen: Faculty of International Tourism and Management, City University of Macau, Taipa 999078, Macau, China
Baoliang Hu: School of Management, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 12, 1-18

Abstract: The sustainability of rural development, both economic and environmental, has been increasingly linking to local food, which plays an indispensable role by preserving traditional culture, attracting tourists, and supporting the regional economy. However, the authenticity and quality of local food have not been fully convinced as competitive advantages by most practitioners. Little is known about how authenticity affects quality attributes, tourist satisfaction, and tourist loyalty. Thus, this study examines the role of authenticity in the quality–satisfaction–loyalty framework. The field research was performed in Shunde County, Guangdong Province, China. The results challenge the traditional view of quality attributes by highlighting that authenticity is a key antecedent to the quality–satisfaction–loyalty framework of food tourism. In contrast, the relationships among quality attributes, tourist satisfaction, and tourist loyalty are contingent on the extent to which food tourists perceive the authenticity of rural local food.

Keywords: local food; authenticity; quality; loyalty; rural tourism; food tourism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (39)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:12:p:3437-:d:242107

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