Abstract:

Tourists want to taste local foods that are specific to the area at the destination they visit. Therefore, it is possible to say that in the context of gastronomic tourism that is increasingly important, local foods have an important role in visitors’ preference of destination. In the study of this situation, the aim is to identify the factors that influence local tourists visiting the gastronomic city of Hatay to buy local food. The study also aims to determine whether there is a difference between the demographic characteristics of those tourists and the factors that influence their purchase of local food. The survey used quantial research methods for the purpose of gathering data and surveyed 403 tourists. The results of the analysis have found that the natural nature of local foods has a significant impact on tourists’ shopping behavior. It has also been found that gender and education levels affect local food purchases. However, the age, civic status and monthly income have come to the conclusion that there is no factor in the local food purchase point.

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