THE IMPACT OF GASTRONOMIC EXPERIENCE ON TOURIST SATISFACTION, DESTINATION IMAGE, AND LOYALTY

The study examines the influence of gastronomic experiences in terms of tourist satisfaction, destination image, and Antalya on tourist loyalty, Turkey, a famous and cultural tourist destination. With the increasing recognition of food as a major component of tourism experiences, the aim of this research is to test an ideological model as an empirical test of gastronomic experience as an important determinant of positive tourist results. The data was obtained through a structured questionnaire that was completed by 391 domestic and international tourists who visited Antalya. The findings suggest that gastronomic experiences have an important and positive influence on both tourist satisfaction and destination image. Moreover, both tourist satisfaction and destination image were found to positively affect the loyalty of tourists. These findings outline the strategic importance of integrating local food culture to destination marketing and experience design. The study contributes to the literature by expanding the theoretical understanding of culinary tourism and provides practical insight to tourism stakeholders to increase competitive benefits through gastronomic discrimination.