Who are food-neophobic tourists? The influence of food neophobia on tourists’ local food responses

Food neophobia prevents tourists from enjoying gastronomic experiences during their trips. The objectives of this study are to explore the role of food neophobia based on socio-demographics and travel-related characteristics, and determine the structural relationships among local food consumption values, satisfaction with local food, and intention to revisit a destination to taste local food. Using a sample of 840 tourists who tasted local cuisine in Hong Kong, the data analysis results show that older and married tourists with less education and low household income from Asian regions who are visiting friends and/or relatives have a relatively high tendency toward food neophobia. Furthermore, food neophobia negatively affects quality and health, price, emotional and epistemic values, satisfaction with local food, and behavioral intention. On the other hand, perceived quality and health, emotional and epistemic values positively affect satisfaction with local food. In conclusion, when promoting local cuisine, destination marketers should pay close attention to the role of food neophobia.