Self-congruity and functional congruity drive positive word-of-mouth in food tourism through moderating effects of emotional experiences

This research aims to develop an expanded model integrating destination personality, tourists' emotional experiences, and positive word of mouth within the frameworks of self-congruity and functional congruity. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), we analyzed data from 357 tourists who visited the UNESCO-designated City of Food in China. Our findings indicate that destination personality, self-congruity, functional congruity, and tourists' emotional experiences positively influence positive word of mouth. Notably, tourists' emotional experiences were found to moderate the relationship between self-congruity and positive word of mouth. This research enhances the existing literature by addressing a significant gap and introducing a comprehensive conceptual model that is empirically validated. The study provides actionable insights for optimizing food tourism marketing strategies, offering theoretical and practical implications for practitioners and managers, thus making a significant contribution to the discourse on food tourism.