Examining relationships among food’s perceived value, well-being, and tourists’ loyalty

Although tourist destinations’ local food is increasingly popular with tourists, the problem of how food’s perceived value affects tourists’ loyalty still exists. Based on an investigation of 497 tourists in Guangzhou, China, this study explores the relationships among food’s perceived value, well-being, and tourists’ loyalty. Results show that emotional value, functional value, and social value indirectly affect tourists’ loyalty through the mediating effects of two dimensions of well-being (hedonic and eudaimonic). This paper offers fresh insight on the role of local food and provides suggestions for destination stakeholders on how to use local food to enhance tourists’ loyalty.