Sensory Attributes of Indian Ethnic Food and Its Influence on Foreign Tourists' Revisit Intention Toward Homestays in Rishikesh, India

ABSTRACT Homestay tourism has already gained momentum worldwide due to its community engagement and contribution toward sustainable tourism. This study aims to examine the relationship between ethnic Indian food served at homestay settings as a determinant of tourists' revisit intention. Drawing on the Stimulus‐Organism‐Response framework, this study conceptualizes the core sensory attributes of Indian ethnic foods and establishes the relationships between attitude and revisit intention. A quantitative approach was adopted, and data were analyzed using PLS‐SEM with SmartPLS. Data were collected from 305 foreign tourists staying in homestays in Rishikesh using snowball sampling. The findings revealed that the “sensory attributes of ethnic food” significantly influence tourists' attitudes toward the intention to revisit homestays. Among the sensory dimensions, “food culture” was found to play a strong role in shaping positive revisit intention, followed by “food sensation” and “food aesthetic experience”. The findings show that authentic culinary experiences strengthen homestay revisit intention.