Not eating is a loss: How familiarity influences local food consumption

The contradictory nature of familiarity in local food consumption needs to be clarified in food tourism literature. This research draws upon the loss aversion principle and examines how loss aversion—the degree to which a sense of loss accompanies not being able to eat local foods at tourist destinations—plays a role in the link between familiarity and local food consumption. We propose the notion that tourists with low familiarity with local foods show higher levels of loss aversion, which in turn motivates them to consume local food. Importantly, food neophobia moderates this relationship. For tourists with low food neophobic tendencies, their familiarity with local foods increases their loss aversion; for those suffering from food neophobia, this effect is attenuated. The theoretical and managerial implications for better destination marketing are also discussed herein.