Influence of informational and experiential familiarity on image of local foods

Abstract

This study provided results of an investigation into the influence of familiarity on the image of local food among foreign tourists who visit South Korea, examining the differences in tourists' image of local foods and behavioral intentions to eat local foods based on both experiential and informational familiarity. The results showed that foreign tourists with more experience with local foods had a more positive affective and cognitive image of local food and intention to consume local foods than tourists with little experience with local food. However, the affective image of local foods did not differ significantly when tourists accessed more information sources. Overall, the results of this study indicate that experiential familiarity was more influential than informational familiarity in improving local food image. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.