Exploring tourists’ preference to visit domestic destination: a locavorism perspective

Abstract

Locavorism, often known as the consumer’s ideology of consuming only local food, was religiously practised by a legion of devout followers – the locavores. These consumers have not only consumed food but also expressed various related behaviours, such as patronizing locally sourced restaurants or visiting similar shops. However, its extension outside of food consumption has been neglected. Based on the VAB framework, the current study examined, locavorism, within the tourism product context and empirically tested its antecedents and consequences. Using collected data from 226 Vietnamese consumers during the vacation-planning period in 2023, we critically examined the newly adapted measurement of locavorism in tourism and found strong evidence supporting a strong tendency to consume local tourist products. Theoretical findings and managerial implications for hospitality researchers and practitioners are then discussed.