Egyptian food experience of international visitors: a multidimensional approach

Purpose Using destination brand experience as a conceptual lens and data evidence from international visitors to Egypt, the purpose of this study is to examine the relative impact of the various dimensions of local food experience on tourist overall food satisfaction and destination revisit intention. Design/methodology/approach Data from a convenience sample of international visitors to Cairo, Egypt, (N= 302) was quantitatively analyzed using the structural equation modeling approach to test the relationships among constructs. Findings Empirical results reveal that three components of destination food experiences - sensory, affective and behavioral - effectively explain tourists' food satisfaction and destination revisit intention, while intellectual food experience was reported to only influence destination revisit intention. Interestingly, the effect of food experience satisfaction on destination revisit intention was not significant. Research limitations/implications This study identifies local food experience aspects that require to be managed at a strategic level and provides guidelines on how these aspects can be effectively managed. Originality/value This study is the first empirical application of a multidimensional experience model to the context of tourists' local food experience; it identifies the multifaceted characteristics of local food experience that deserve scholars' and marketers' attention.