The impact of gastronomic tourism experiencescapes on university students’ psychological restoration

Under social pressure, college students' mental health has drawn increasing attention. Gastronomic tourism shows great potential as a healing approach, yet little research concerns psychological restoration within its experiencescapes. Based on 547 questionnaires, this study builds a theoretical framework and employs SEM to examine how five dimensions of gastronomic tourism experiencescapes (natural, physical, social, social symbolic, and experiential activities) affect college students' psychological restoration, alongside the roles of place dependence and place identity, and verifies the moderating effects of information-acquisition modes and scene preferences. Results indicate: (1) Natural, physical and social dimensions directly influence psychological restoration; natural, physical and experiential activity dimensions directly affect place dependence; natural, social, social symbolic and experiential activity dimensions directly influence place identity; both place dependence and place identity positively promote psychological restoration. (2) Place dependence and place identity exert partial and chain mediating effects between experiencescape (five dimensions) and psychological restoration. (3) Information-acquisition modes and scene preferences moderate several paths. This study unpacks relevant mechanisms, extends existing theories, and offers theoretical and practical implications for restorative-oriented tourism.