EXTENDING THEORY OF CONSUMPTION VALUES IN CULINARY TOURISM: A VALUE–INTERACTION–SATISFACTION FRAMEWORK FOR REVISIT INTENTION IN MALAYSIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/JTHEM.1143002Keywords:
Culinary Tourism, Destination Image, Local Food Consumption Values, Tourist Satisfaction, Tourist–Local Interactions, Revisit IntentionAbstract
Culinary tourism has become an important source of destination differentiation, as local food experiences allow tourists to engage directly with culture, authenticity, and everyday social life in a destination. Although research in this area has expanded, the literature remains conceptually fragmented, particularly in explaining how local food experiences translate into tourist loyalty and revisit intention in multicultural settings. To address this gap, this paper develops an integrated conceptual framework that explains revisit intention in culinary tourism by linking local food consumption values to loyalty outcomes through satisfaction. Drawing on the Theory of Consumption Values, Expectancy–Disconfirmation Theory, and Social Exchange Theory, the framework conceptualises functional, emotional, social, epistemic, and conditional values as key antecedents of tourist satisfaction, and positions satisfaction as a central mediating mechanism leading to revisit intention. In addition, tourist–local interactions are incorporated as an experiential component that strengthens value evaluation and satisfaction formation, while destination image is proposed as a contextual boundary condition that moderates the satisfaction–revisit intention relationship. Based on an integrative conceptual analysis of prior literature, the paper advances theoretical propositions that clarify the roles of consumption values, social exchange, and destination-level perceptions in shaping loyalty-related outcomes. The study contributes by offering a holistic application of consumption values in culinary tourism, embedding tourist–local interactions within value-based explanations, and extending the role of destination image beyond a direct antecedent. Practical implications are also outlined for destination managers and policymakers seeking to strengthen culinary tourism strategies to support sustainable tourism development, and the framework provides a foundation for future empirical testing.
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