Effects of ethnic restaurant experience on prospective tourist intentions: Mediating role of food image

Study examines the ethnic restaurant experiences' unique outcomes to determine whether they extend to prospective tourism experiences. To further understanding of the ethnic restaurant experience's effects, the experience's influence on perceptions of a destination's food image and mediation effect of this image between the experience and tourist intentions are also examined. Uncertainty reduction theory and cultural loss concept offered a suitable theoretical background for formulating the hypotheses. The sample comprises 387 ethnic restaurant diners in Antalya, Turkey. Hypotheses are tested using PLS-SEM with the hierarchical component modelling approach. Findings help to identify ethnic restaurants' consumer as potential gastronomy tourists since they have desires to taste ethnic food in its original place, where it is called local. Favourable ethnic restaurant experience also provides useful informational inputs for forming food image to reduce perceived risks and to decide whether it is worth visiting the destination from which the ethnic restaurant originates.