Food Image and Travel Intention: From New Delhi to New York

A tourist's destination image is formed by multiple factors. Food is one such factor that creates distinct identity for a destination; hence, food tourism is essential for destination promotion. The current study is focused on a destination's food image and its relation to traveler's likelihood to visit that destination. For this study two cities have been identified, namely, New Delhi, India and New York City, USA as cases to establish this relationship. The two mega cities are similar in being popular tourist entry points and destinations while being different in culture, heritage, and food habits. The current study uses primary tourist data in both cities to empirically examine the relation between food image and a tourist's intention to visit. The research question and related hypothesis were tested empirically to answer the research question, whether the select city's food images significantly predicts likelihood of a tourist visiting the destination. This study gives an insight into the tourist's impression of New Delhi and New York's food and dining experience; and gives impetus to destination marketing by spotlighting local cuisine and food culture.