Craving Food but Remaining Alert: Food Lovers' Reactions to Risks in Food Tourism Destinations

ABSTRACT Understanding the psychological attraction that food lovers (“ foodies ”) have for food tourism destinations is crucial for effective marketing and promotion of the latter. This study investigated the interplay among destination loyalty (DL), self‐congruity (SC), memorable food tourism experience (MFTE), perceived value (PV), and perceived risk (PR). Data collected from 17 restaurants in Macao using 389 valid questionnaires were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results showed a strong positive correlation among SC, PV, MFTE, and DL. PV and MFTE also significantly mediated the relationship between SC and DL. However, PR negatively moderated the relationships among MFTE, SC, and DL. This study not only demonstrated the psychological associations that food lovers have with destinations of gastronomy but also confirmed the negative moderating effect of PV. Finally, the findings of this study contribute to follow‐up food tourism research and propose pertinent suggestions for destination marketing organizations and restaurant operators.