How do food authenticity and sensory appeal influence tourist experience? The moderating role of food involvement

Abstract Food authenticity and sensory appeal are becoming increasingly important research topics in food tourism research. The purpose of this study is to explain how and why food authenticity and sensory appeal contribute to tourists' behavioral intention through affective responses based on stimuli–organism–response (S–O–R) model. This study reports the findings based on a total of 416 questionnaires. The results indicate that memory and destination attachment mediate the relationship between food authenticity and behavioral intention, sensory appeal and behavioral intention. Furthermore, food involvement is identified as a moderator between stimulus factors and affective responses. Implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed.