Destinations Food Image and Food Neophobia on Behavioral Intentions: Culinary Tourist Behavior in Malaysia

Abstract The important role of local culinary in the area of tourism has received the attention of scholars in recent decades, in spite of the fact that the influence of the culinary image on traveler’s destination has not been thoroughly explored. Moreover, extremely limited attention has been given to the development of a measurement scale for the corresponding perceptions. Therefore, this study examines existing relationships among a tourist destination’s food image, food neophobia, and the behavioral intention of international tourists in Malaysia. Out of the total number of questionnaires administered to international tourists in Malaysia, 292 were fully completed and returned. Furthermore, this study utilizes Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using Smart-PLS 3.2.9 to analyze the data. As such, the results indicate a significant and positive relationship between destination food image and food neophobia. Indeed, this empirical outcome plays a fundamental about destinations that intend to facilitate food tourism.