Özet:

Gastronomy tourism focuses on travel to experience different local flavours and discover new flavours. This study examined the impact of local food experiences of local tourists visiting Mersin on destination image perceptions and destination loyalty behaviors. The research, test and detective type are designed with a relative scanning model. The data was collected through a survey consisting of the aggregation of the scales developed by various researchers. According to the easy sampling technique, 410 surveys available as a result of the face-to-face survey application have been collected. According to the purpose of the research, the analysis of the explanatory and verifying factors and the road analysis of the structural equality model have been used. The researchers perceived local food experiences in four factors: cultural experience, touch to senses, interpersonal relationships and psychological relaxation. Participants also perceived Mersin's destination image in seven factors: entertainment and outdoor events, food diversity and facilities, price and value, natural resources, environment, historical places, availability. Destination loyalty is perceived by the participants in a single factor. The structural equality model road analysis has found that tourists’ local food experiences have a positive impact on the destination image and destination loyalty. In addition, it has been found that the local food experience of tourists has significantly increased the impact on destination loyalty thanks to the perceptible destination image. As a result, the success of local food experiences of tourists has been shown to have an impact on their behavioral tendency towards the destination, but the destination image has been shown to be an element that significantly increases this trend. The research has concluded with conceptual and practical findings that draw attention to these aspects.

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