Memorable Thai Food Experience and Consumer Behavior by Destination Attachment

While cuisines have been exports representative of their respective destinations for years, local food is increasingly playing a larger role in providing unique identities to regional destinations. One such cuisine that is becoming increasingly popular both domestically and abroad is Thai. The distinctive taste, diligent preparation, and intricate decorations of Thai food are representative of its background, customs, cultures, and local characteristics. This study investigates the factors that motivate food tourists to have memorable experience and develop attachments and to specific destinations. Participants were selected among tourists who have been in Thailand for the last five years and have tried Thai food, by using the Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) platform. Path analysis was used to analyze the data. The findings showed that among thirteen hypotheses, one of them was rejected and the rest were accepted. Specifically, the influence of authenticity on behavioral intention was rejected, whereas the influences of sensory appeal and pleasure on place attachment were relatively weak.