Why Do Local Foodscapes Matter in Building Tourist Trust and Loyalty?

Abstract

This study examines local foodscapes and their dimensions, namely, eco‐friendly environment, tradition, infrastructure, accessibility, and price/value, on trust in a store and local food, which in turn impacts loyalty and identified full mediating roles of trust in a store and local food in the relationship between local foodscapes and loyalty. Data were collected from visitors (tourists) who had experienced local foods over the last three months and were analyzed with SmartPLS 3.3.3. The findings show that the dimensions of price/value and eco‐friendly environment influence trust in the local store, whereas the history or the tradition along with the eco‐friendly environment has an impact on local food consumption—both the local store and the local food influence the level of loyalty among tourists. Implications for theory and practice are discussed within the context of local foodscapes.