Abstract:

With the increase in the understanding of fast consumption, cultural values began to disappear. For this reason, people’s interest in the local and authentic is increasing day by day. One of the reasons behind tourists’ motivations for travels is search for authenticity which they feel its lack in their daily lives. Tasting the foods indigenous to the destinations and learning how these foods are prepared and consumed offers a unique experience for the tourists who seek authenticity. These foods, which are seen as intangible gastronomic heritage, are considered important for tourists to have an authentic and cultural experience. Since indigenous foods appeal to all senses of tourists, affect their experiences positively. Visitors also intend to recommendation these unique experiences to their friends and relatives. In this research it is aimed to reveal the relationships between the search for authenticity, food experience and intention of recommend by structural equation modeling. In accordance with this purpose, 350 people who participated the Alaçatı Herb Festival were reached via convenience sampling method and an online survey was conducted. The research data were collected between the dates 01.04.2021 and 01.05.2021. As a result of the analyses, it was determined that the search for authenticity affects the aesthetic and educational food experience. Moreover it was determined that the aesthetic and educational food experience has a significant effect on the intention of recommendation. 

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