Investigating the dietary intentions of Iranian tourists regarding the consumption of local food

Abstract

Introduction Attention to local food among tourists is increasing day by day. However, studies on the behavior and intention of tourists towards consuming these foods are few. Limited studies in this field prompted us to help fill the research gap by doing this research. Methods This study aims to use the extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) by adding risk perception (RP) to investigate the tourists’ intentions towards local food (TILF) in Iran. The extended model tested 313 tourists visiting local food supplies. Results Results show that the extended TPB explains 87.8% of tourist intention variance. Three variables of the original TPB had positive impacts on tourists’ intentions. A notable result of this study was the realization of a negative relationship between RP and TILF. Discussion This research has provided recommendations to strengthen tourists’ intentions toward local foods by influencing their attitudes, mental beliefs, perceived behavioral control, and risk perception.