Impact of Neophobia and Liminoid Tendencies on Tourists’ Food Consumption Behaviors in All-Inclusive Hotels: A Study in Antalya

ABSTRACT

This study examined the impact of tourists’ neophobia and liminoid behavior tendencies on their food consumption behaviors in hotels offering all-inclusive services. Tourist’s food consumption was operationalized in two domains amount (how much they consumed compared to their daily food intake) and content (whether they consumed local or familiar food compared to their routine food consumption patterns). The sample comprised 280 tourists staying in two all-inclusive holiday resorts in Antalya, Turkey. The reliability and validity of the measurement model was demonstrated by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) before the four hypotheses in the research model were tested using structural equation modeling. In support of the hypotheses, the findings showed that neophobia significantly reduced the amount and novelty of tourists’ food consumption whereas liminoid tendencies significantly increased them. In conclusion both neophobia and liminoid tendencies are significant predictors of tourists’ food consumption behaviors in all-inclusive hotels operating in Antalya.

KEYWORDS:

• Neophobia
• liminoid behavior
• food consumption

Notes on contribution

Bahattin ÖZDEMİR is currently a professor in the field of Gastronomy at Akdeniz University. His research interests are gastronomy and restaurant management and Tourism and Hotel Management

Gül Damla Kılıç is a PhD candidate at Gastronomy and Culinary Department in Akdeniz University. Her research interests are gastronomy and nutrition.

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank all the participants in this study.

Disclosure statement

We wish to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication and that there was no significant financial support for this work that could have influenced its outcome.