Food experience, place attachment and locavorism in urban destinations

This study investigates the role of locavorism in urban gastronomic tourism and examines its relationships with food experience, place attachment and behavioural outcomes. Addressing a gap in research on locavorism in cities, the study examines whether local food experiences influence locavorist attitudes, how far place attachment contributes to locavorism and if both constructs shape revisit and recommendation intentions. Quantitative data were collected from 537 international visitors to Budapest, Hungary, using validated measurement scales and analyzed through partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings show that food experience has a strong positive effect on place attachment and a smaller but significant effect on locavorism. Place attachment significantly influences both locavorism and behavioural outcomes, while locavorism also positively affects behavioural outcomes. Multi-group analysis indicates a gender difference in the relationship between food experience and locavorism, with the relationship being more significant for men than women. The study contributes to gastronomic tourism research by integrating locavorism into the food experience–place attachment framework in an urban context and highlights implications for destination marketing and the promotion of local food experiences and sustainable development.