The Impact of Gastronomic Experiences on Travel Satisfaction and Holiday Experience

Gastronomic tourism has emerged as a key factor influencing travel decisions, with food experiences playing a crucial role in shaping overall tourist satisfaction and holiday experiences. This study investigates the relationships between various food-related constructs—food as a travel motive, food and local culture, food and restaurantscape, food and destinationscape, food safety, health, and ethics, and food practice experience—on travel satisfaction and the overall holiday experience. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), data was collected from travelers with gastronomic tourism experiences to test the hypothesized relationships.The findings indicate that food as a travel motive, food and local culture, food and restaurantscape, and food and destinationscape significantly enhance travel satisfaction and the overall holiday experience. Additionally, food safety, health, and ethics showed a weaker yet positive association with travel satisfaction, though its impact on the overall holiday experience was not statistically significant. Similarly, food practice experience significantly influenced travel satisfaction but did not show a substantial effect on the overall holiday experience. Notably, travel satisfaction was found to be a strong predictor of the overall holiday experience.This study contributes to the growing body of literature on food tourism by providing empirical insights into how different gastronomic factors shape tourist experiences. The results offer practical implications for destination marketers and hospitality providers, emphasizing the need to integrate culinary experiences with cultural and environmental elements to enhance tourists’ satisfaction. Future research directions are suggested to explore the long-term behavioral outcomes of gastronomic experiences in tourism.