Local Food Consumption and Tourist Wellbeing in Kolkata: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

Abstract

Tourism requires authentic experiences. Local foods have utility to draw attention of the tourists, as they are directly from local sources and related to well-being.
Tourists like local foods, as a results, local food plays important role in tourism. This study examines the mediating roles of food experience and emotional response
in the context of tourists’ well-being. We take a sample size of 207 for quantitative research design, containing various age groups, educations, genders, for this
study, using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to test relationships between variables. Local food consumption has direct and indirect
positive effect on tourist well-being as per results. Food experience and emotional response were found to play significant mediating roles, indicating parallel and
sequential relationships. The model demonstrates substantial explanatory power. In addition, it highlights the importance of experiential and emotional pathways
in enhancing well-being outcomes. Well-being, as central output in the relationships of the others variables, may contribute to the tourism literature and providing
empirical evidence from an emerging cultural destination. This offers practical implications for tourism stakeholders, as the power of local cuisine can be used as
a strategic tool to enhance tourist satisfaction and well-being.