Work

Self-congruity and functional congruity drive positive word-of-mouth in food tourism through moderating effects of emotional experiences

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This research aims to develop an expanded model integrating destination personality, tourists' emotional experiences, and positive word of mouth within the frameworks of self-congruity and functional congruity. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), we analyzed data from 357 tourists who visited the UNESCO-designated City of Food in China. Our findings indicate that destination personality, self-congruity, functional congruity, and tourists' emotional experiences positively influence positive word of mouth. Notably, tourists' emotional experiences were found to moderate the relationship between self-congruity and positive word of mouth. This research enhances the existing literature by addressing a significant gap and introducing a comprehensive conceptual model that is empirically validated. The study provides actionable insights for optimizing food tourism marketing strategies, offering theoretical and practical implications for practitioners and managers, thus making a significant contribution to the discourse on food tourism.

Source: Scientific Reports

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-94046-6

Authors: Danping Liu, Miaoxuan Wu, Tingting Zhu, Hedan Fang, Di Hu

Institutions: Xihua University, Yunnan University of Finance And Economics, Anhui University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Culinary Culture and Tourism

Subfield: Food Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,690

Funders: Anhui Provincial Quality Engineering Project, Humanities and Social Sciences Youth Foundation, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China