Intention to Experience Local Cuisine in a Travel Destination: The Modified Theory of Reasoned Action

Abstract

This article proposes a modified theory of reasoned action model in which past behavior was added to the original theory of reasoned action model. Using the proposed model, this study investigated the interdependence between attitudinal and normative components and also examined the model’s ability to predict tourist behavioral intentions to try local cuisine in a hypothetical situation. A structural equation analysis showed that the model had strong predictive ability for tourist intentions to experience local cuisine. Attitude and past behavior were significant predictors of tourist behavioral intentions. In addition, the interdependence between attitudinal and normative components were partly supported. Implications of the findings are discussed as well.

Keywords

local cuisine theory of reasoned action attitude subjective norm past behavior tourists’ behavioral intention

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