Visitor Attitudes on Motivational Dimensions in Consuming Local Foods in an Emerging Tourist Destination: The Case of Cali, Colombia

Abstract

Scientific and practical interest in public and private spheres about motivations in the consumption of local gastronomy is growing globally. In this sense, this research focuses its analysis on the relationship between gastronomic attitude and the motivational dimensions for consuming local foods, based on the gastronomic experience of visitors to the city of Cali, Colombia, an emerging gastronomic tourist destination. This study used a quantitative method; a semi-structured survey was carried out with 362 tourists who visited Cali, Colombia, a gastronomic city in the Délice Global Network. The data were analyzed using Smart PLS-SEM Software Version 4.0 via the partial least squares technique (PLS-SEM). The findings show that a visitor’s gastronomic attitude is a predictor of their motivation to consume local food. Furthermore, among the indicators that explain the gastronomic attitude, the influence of the city’s gastronomy on the visit stands out as the most predominant factor in the visitor’s attitude toward gastronomic tourism. Other theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.

1. Introduction

There is growing interest in researching everything related to gastronomic tourism since this industry contributes billions of dollars to the global economy [1,2,3]. This topic addresses specific market segments with differentiated characteristics that are associated with memorable culinary experiences [1,2], where the unique characteristics of a destination can play a key role. Some key elements of interest are the memorability of the experience, and, in particular, the predominant focus is on the motivations of consumers/visitors [3].

To understand gastronomy tourism, we must recognize a growing number of tourism experts who view tourism as part of the “experience economy”, in which consumption, performance, and staging are conceived as a whole rather than disparate elements. For example, there is more research to be conducted on the relationship between the tourist gaze and food [1], and between linguistics, semiotics, and gastronomy tourism [2].

Similarly, gastronomic experience can function as a motivator when choosing a tourism destination [4,5,6]. Some elements of the destination could constitute differentiating factors from the perspectives and motivations of visitors, which could also be mediated by age, educational level, or origin. This is because there are aspects that can be considered unique to local food, such as flavor, history, and nutritional value, in addition to its relationship with cultural values [4,5].

Practically, some of these factors can be observed directly in some dishes of the local gastronomy of the destination under study (see Figure 1 and Figure 2). The traditional cuisine of the Colombian Pacific is considered Intangible Cultural Heritage for Sustainable Development by UNESCO [7]. This entity highlights how the stoves of the Pacific, rooftop herbs, songs, and oral tradition are part of the unique culinary heritage, where important aspects of daily life, rituals, and knowledge about the use and exploitation of the territory are mixed, and of which its bearers are proud. This ancestral knowledge is part of the identity of the Afro-Colombian people, the care of the environment, the productive development of its people, and the culture of peace, providing them with a dignified livelihood. This is why tourist destinations must promote a positive attitude toward their local gastronomy by examining the factors that explain the attitudes of tourists toward locally produced food [7].

Although some researchers suggest expanding studies on the attitudes and motivators of visitors, the gastronomic experience, and the practical strategies of destination managers to promote a positive attitude toward gastronomic experiences around local food [8,9], there are few investigations that study the relationship between the attitudes and motivations of visitors around the gastronomic experience. In fact, some recent studies, such as that of Yilmazel [10], use attitude as a moderator between some variables, such as consumer awareness and behavioral intentions (such as purchase intention of certain food products), but not the causal and direct relationship between the attitude and the motivating dimensions. Similarly, the recent study by Jonson and Masa in 2023 demonstrates how the gastronomic landscape of a destination influences gastronomic attitudes, which in turn affect the gastronomic satisfaction and loyalty of tourists. However, the authors describe that studies on this topic are still very limited, and it is necessary to replicate this type of research in different destinations and incorporate different constructs in the models to better understand the relation that generate motivation in visitors to gastronomic tourism [11].

To contribute to theoretical and practical development, this study aims to analyze the causal relationship between visitor attitudes and motivational dimensions in consuming local food as part of a gastronomic experience (cultural experience, emotion, interpersonal relationship, sensory appeal, and health concern). For this, a structural equation model was designed, which was validated in the context of gastronomic tourism in an emerging destination that is globally recognized as a gastronomic city. This destination was chosen for offering local food from the Colombian Pacific, designated as Intangible Cultural Heritage for Sustainable Development by UNESCO [7], and includes a night market, street food, fast food, restaurants, and hotel restaurants.

2. Literature Review

2.1. The Origin of Gastronomic Experiences

Understanding gastronomic experiences also means recognizing their origins, which takes place on four levels: sensorial, emotional, social, and intellectual. Taste not only plays a role in the first instance, but also has its origin in smell, touch, sight, and hearing, which is why the impact of sensory experiences with food can be remembered by generating positive attitudes, resulting in quality gastronomic experiences of tourists [4,12]. Sensory attributes lead to explanations of the background experience, having to do with the emotional context. Olfactory attributes form the basis of an emotional response, both positive and negative, resulting in image and memory. Sensory experience plus emotion means that gastronomic experiences can build symbolic meanings, as well as hedonic and aesthetic feelings, such as pleasure and memory. The social origin of the gastronomic experience is embedded in friendship and familial relationships associated with celebrations, rituals, routines and habits that support social functions and social pleasure [13,14]. For example, ref. [14] indicates that gastronomic experiences can occur on any occasion and environment where food fulfills an objective in social practices, even in tourist activities such as hiking. The last category, consisting of the intellectual origin of gastronomic experiences, is related to preparation of food and knowledge of food preparation. Philosophy and theory are also useful; for example, the phenomenology of gastronomic tourism might examine the meaning of food and foodways long after visitor has left the home or restaurant.

To use a practical example, two typical dishes of local gastronomy that are part of the destination under study can be observed: Figure 1 presents Atollado rice and Figure 2 rice with tiger shrimp. Both dishes are part of the local gastronomy of the Colombian Pacific coast, and their ingredients have not only ingredients from the region, but are highly influenced by the Afro-Colombian culture of this country.

Motivational Dimensions for Gastronomic Experience

In gastronomic tourism, attraction motivations are common [13,14]. Gastronomic motivations are related to the way the food is prepared, which are heterogenous and are associated with the different sensations and feelings of visitors and tourists generated towards gastronomy and destination tourism [14,15].

When addressing multidimensionality in gastronomic experiences, the focus should be on relationship between memory and motivation, including physical environment, food preferences, and the role of emotionality as factors in destination choice. These dimensions reveal not only a tangible tourism product—the food itself—but also numerous dimensions and characteristics [16], because they are interrelated but function as different concepts [14,16]. Thus, multidimensionality can be defined in the consumption model as the motivational factors of individuals, both of those who visit and those who include food consumption as part of experience. Metaphorically, both the trip and the food experience can be “consumed”, both individually or separately as part of the same motivational tourism model, with both psychological, physiological, and secondary demographic and cultural factors involved in the art and act of eating. It is precisely this multidimensional motivational concept that allows for a broad understanding of the development of gastronomic tourism experience in places where these dimensions begin to unfold for the traveler [13,14,15,16]. Furthermore, some studies have shown that depending on the way in which a tourist destination is marketed, this can affect variables such as the image of the destination and visitor satisfaction [17]; therefore, it is rational to think that since the gastronomic experience is part of the destination’s offer, it could also affect these variables.

Kim and Eves propose and validate a scale to measure tourists’ motivation to consume local food, with five components, namely (1) cultural experience, (2) excitement, (3) interpersonal relations, (4) sensory appeal, and (5) health concerns. Cultural experience includes learning, knowledge and authentic experience [12], such as learning about the history of the tourist destination and exploring the particularities of various cultures, especially authentic cultures, through their local food [18,19,20]. Excitement includes “exciting experience” and “escape from routine”, which are motivations with similar psychological characteristics [21,22], based on an escape process through a trip to get out of a routine [23] in which they seek new experiences as a personal reward [24]. In this way, Kim and Eves propose that to taste local food in a tourist destination is a motive related to a new experience to escape from routine [12]. Interpersonal relationships are composed of “togetherness” and “prestige” and refer to the fact that interpersonal relationships include the desire to share with family and friends and to meet new people; these social interactions are reciprocal and emotional [25,26,27]. Sensory appeal refers to the importance of sensory pleasure in the consumption of local cuisine in tourist destinations, through tactile, olfactory, gustatory and/or visual experiences [28,29,30,31]. Finally, with respect to health concerns, some authors have stated that there is a tendency to consume healthy foods [32], and that some people avoid consuming certain foods due to health concerns [33], but in gastronomic tourism, the consumption of local foods can be motivated by health and well-being [11]. In this study, this scale [12] has been taken as a reference to measure tourists’ motivations to consume local gastronomy, based on the social psychological motivations of travel theory [34] and the social psychology model of tourism theory [24].

2.2. Gastronomic Attitude

One of the criteria to consider when establishing methods of measuring experience during different processes related to culinary tourism and experiences associated with the art and act of eating as an economic, cultural, and political experience is to understand the culinary motivations of visitors to eat in certain places, which may be conditioned by their gastronomic attitudes [35]. However, this is not the only criterion allowing for attitude measurement. Thus, the gastronomic attitude includes (1) the knowledge about gastronomy that the visitor has (“How would you rate your knowledge of gastronomy?”), (2) the interest in gastronomy that the visitor has (“How would you rate your interest in gastronomy?”) and (3) how much the gastronomy of the place influenced the decision to visit the destination (“How much did the gastronomy of the destination influence your visit to the city?”) [36,37,38,39]. Kovalenko and other authors found that prior knowledge about gastronomy has a positive influence on gastronomic experience and influences the perceived quality of a destination’s local cuisine and gastronomic activities [5]. Finally, Verbeke and Hartmann and other authors indicate that attitudes are based on the tradition and culture of individuals [37,38,39,40,41].

Another important factor is interest. For example, when considering gastronomic attitude in tourism, interest is important as it becomes a conditional element for both culinary motivations and for visitor satisfaction [5], and in turn groups three motivational dimensions that can affect the measurement of the category under consideration—cultural experiences, emotions, and interpersonal relationships. It is then suggested that attitude groups together all the factors that are involved between the local gastronomic scene, and individual and collective visitor dimensions. Gastronomic attitude should not be seen as a longitudinal category, but a transversal one, responding to specific moments since there may be tourists who are interested in valuing culinary experience, and visitors who may have little interest in the food offered—they consume and only want to attend to the physiological needs that bring them to the area.

In summary, gastronomic attitude, in addition to what has been described, constitutes different expressions of tourists not only associated with the act of eating, but including activities that may involve food in a tourist destination, such as visiting a farmers’ market or a gastronomic tour and other local food production spaces that may overlap with market segments such as agrotourism [42]; also, gastronomic attitudes can be observed when local food has international recognition from organoleptic, cultural, historical or even heritage perspectives, as is the case of the gastronomy of the Colombian Pacific [7], which is the subject of this study. Thus, the attitude is built on factors and dimensions such as sensory appeal, health, history, culture, local consumption experience and interaction with local producers and sellers [43].

2.3. Gastronomic Attitude and Gastronomic Motivations

Visitor attitudes are important for gastronomic tourism, as they affect the gastronomic motivations that might drive a visit to a market or site by travelers and tour groups. Some approaches have shown that tourists can show more interest in local culinary experience, and that they may have the ability to synthesize and present the destination culture to provide new experiences and to satisfy the personal needs of a social or physical nature [43].

Further, Yazar and Burucuoglu indicate that there is a significant relationship between the attitude of the customers (in this case, of visitors) and health conscientiousness (the latter is one of the dimensions of the tourists’ motivation to consume local food) [40]. On the other hand, some research has studied the segmentation of gastronomic tourists based on their attitude towards local gastronomy [31,34,35,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47], based on hypotheses that assume that the gastronomic motivations of visitors are conditioned by their attitude, but this relationship has not been empirically validated as a causal, positive and significant relationship. Other studies using the consumer behavior approach and regarding medicine have explored the role of key socio-psychological dimensions, including attitude, on individuals’ intention to eat certain foods, such as insect-based foods [37,38]; in the business district, the attitude towards organic food consumption [40] and attitudes towards the consumption of local food classified as organic and national quality have been analyzed [40].

Khoshkam indicates that motivations are precursors of gastronomic experience, satisfaction and loyalty towards a destination; thus, gastronomic motivations influence the choice of a tourist destination [48]. Therefore, it is important to identify and study the factors that influence tourists’ motivation to consume local food as part of gastronomic experience.

According to what was described above, Figure 3 illustrates the proposed theoretical model, and consequently, the following hypothesis is proposed:

H1: 

The gastronomic attitude of a visitor positively and significantly influences motivational dimensions to consume local food as part of the gastronomic experience.

3. Methods

3.1. Data Collection

To collect data, a structured survey questionnaire based on a scale to measure tourists’ motivation to consume local food, proposed by Kim and Eves [12], and a scale to measure tourists’ gastronomic attitude, proposed by González [37], were used. This included three main sections: the first included sociodemographic data; the second contained questions about the motivational dimensions of gastronomic experience; and the last section included items to measure variable gastronomic attitude. To measure motivational dimensions and gastronomic attitude, a five-point Likert scale was used, where 1 means “totally disagree” and 5 means “totally agree”.

The survey was sent to national and foreign tourists who visited the city of Cali, Colombia, and who consumed local foods between December 2022 and February 2023 through online means. A total of 523 surveys were sent, and finally, 362 surveys were considered valid, with an effective response rate of 69.2%. Cali is the capital of the Department of Valle del Cauca, a region that concentrates all the development of the Colombian Pacific, with a varied gastronomic offer, but most notably Afro-Colombian cuisine, which is recognized worldwide by UNESCO [7]; Cali is a member city of Délice Network (global network of cities about food and gastronomy).

3.2. Statistical Analysis

For the statistical treatment of data, descriptive analysis was used to identify the profiles of the respondent, a partial least squares (PLS) model was developed, and SmartPLS version 4.0 software was used to study the causal relationship between the motivation’s dimensions of gastronomic experience and gastronomic attitude. This technique was chosen for the development of research since it was required to study complex relationships between multidimensional constructs.

3.3. Socio-Demographic Profile

In an analysis of the sociodemographic profile of the respondents, it is observed that 50% of respondents identified as female and 47.24% male, while 2.76% of respondents preferred not to answer the question. Regarding age range, most of the participants were in the age range between 29 and 38 years (33.98%), followed by between 39 and 48 years (27.62%), while 26.8% were between 18 and 28 years old. Regarding food sites visited, it stands out that 56.08% of the visitors consumed the local food of the city in a recommended restaurant; 17.68% of respondents expressed having consumed street food. According to the information collected regarding the nationality of the respondents, it was possible to determine that 61.6% were Colombian, and classifying by region, the following participation percentages were identified: 15.47% were from Europe, 11.33% belonged to North America and Oceania, and 8.29% were from Latin America and the Caribbean. In analysis by country, it is observed that the foreign visitors were, for the most part, from the United States, followed by Spain and Germany (See

Table 1. Sociodemographic profile of respondents.

Demographic Profile	Item	Frequency N = 362	%
What do you identify with the most?	Female	181	50.00
	Male	171	47.24
	I’d rather not answer	10	2.76
What age range are you in?	18–28	123	33.98
	29–38	100	27.62
	39–48	97	26.80
	49–58	27	7.46
	59–68	12	3.31
	Más 68	3	0.83
What’s your occupation?	Business	12	3.31
	Professional Worker	184	50.83
	Government employee	20	5.52
	Housewife	11	3.04
	Student	67	18.51
	Other	68	18.78
How did you schedule your trip?	Travels on its own	270	74.59
	With travel agency	68	18.78
	Other	24	6.63
What is your nationality or region of origin?	Colombia	223	61.60
	Europe	56	15.47
	North America and Oceania	41	11.33
	Latin America and the Caribbean	30	8.29
	Western Europe	8	2.21
	West Asia and North Africa	2	0.55
	Asia	2	0.55
What food places did you visit during your stay in Cali?	Night market	31	8.5
	Street food	64	17.68
	Fast food service	16	4.42
	Hotel restaurant	16	4.42
	Recommended restaurants	203	56.08
	Other	32	8.90

Source: Own elaboration.

).

4. Results Analysis

4.1. Analysis of the Motivational Dimensions of the Gastronomic Experience of Tourists

The following is an analysis of the five motivational dimensions of gastronomic experience proposed by Kim and Eves [10,12], which are related to cultural experience, emotion, interpersonal relationship, sensory attractiveness, and concern for health. Following the analysis methodology used by González [35], the motivational dimensions of gastronomic experience of tourists visiting the city of Cali were analyzed according to this classification methodology. The main motivations identified in this study were as follows: “holidays make me forget the routine” (4.76) and “it allows me to spend a pleasant time with friends and family” (4.76), belonging to the emotion dimension and the interpersonal relationship dimension, respectively. Furthermore, in positions 3 and 4, the following were identified: “local food tastes good” (4.72) and “local food smells good” (4.64), corresponding to the sensory attractiveness dimension. In position 5 was “consuming local food increases friendship or closeness with people” (4.61), belonging to the interpersonal relationship dimension. It is worth highlighting the last items on the scale, associated with the dimension “health concern”, in position 17, “local food is nutritious” (4.07), and position 18, “it keeps me healthy” (3.81) (See

Table 2. Classification of motivational dimensions.

Motivational Dimensions		Codes	Item	Scale Result	Classification
Cultural Experience	Mean (4.519) Alpha of Cronbach (0.863)	PDEC2	Is an especial experience	4.53	10
		PDEC3	Food offers a unique opportunity to discover something new	4.52	11
		PDEC4	Food offers a unique opportunity to understand local cultures.	4.50	12
Emotion	Mean (4.58) Alpha of Cronbach (0.764)	PDE5	The holidays make me forget the routine	4.76	1
		PDE6	Looking forward to trying food is exciting	4.60	6
		PDE7	The experience of local food in its place of origin excites me	4.54	9
		PDE8	It’s different from what I normally eat	4.42	14
Interpersonal relationship	Mean (4.606) Alpha of Cronbach (0.834)	PDRI9	It allows me to spend a pleasant time with friends and/or family	4.76	2
		PDRI10	Eating local food increases friendship or closeness with people	4.61	5
		PDRI11	I can give advice on experiences with local food to people who want to travel to Cali—Colombia	4.54	8
		PDRI12	I like to talk to others about my local food experiences	4.50	13
Sensory appeal	Mean (4.557) Alpha of Cronbach (0.861)	PDAS13	Local food tastes good	4.72	3
		PDAS14	Local food smells good	4.64	4
		PDAS15	Local food looks good	4.55	7
		PDAS16	It’s different from the taste of the same food in my own city	4.32	16
Health concern	Mean (4.071) Alpha of Cronbach (0.871)	PDPS17	Contains many fresh ingredients produced in a local area	4.34	15
		PDPS18	Local food is nutritious	4.07	17
		PDPS19	It keeps me healthy	3.81	18

Source: Own elaboration from Kim and Eves [12].

).

4.2. Structural Model

4.2.1. Reliability Analysis Scale

The statistical treatment of data used a partial least squares (PLS) model through SmartPLS 4.0 software. This technique was designed to estimate series of equations of the structural model, which shows the relationships between independent variables and dependent variables, and the measurement model, which allows the identification of relationships between constructions and their indicators (defining each degree construction and evaluating its reliability) [49]. The first step to validate the measurement model was to analyze reliability for each factor. In this initial validation, all the questions used were kept. Nunnally and Bernstein [50] suggest a minimum value of 0.70 for Cronbach’s alpha. Fornell and Larcker [51] suggest values greater than 0.70 and 0.5 for composite reliability index (IFC) and average extracted variance (AVE), respectively. In this case, all indicators met requirements. It is important to mention that, in the case of the gastronomic attitude, a value very close to the expected value for Cronbach’s alpha (0.676) was obtained. However, as can be seen in

Table 3. Reliability analysis scale.

Constructs	Alpha of Cronbach	rho_A	Composite Reliability	Average Variance Extracted
Gastronomic Attitude	0.676	0.929	0.777	0.551
Motivational Dimensions	0.894	0.902	0.922	0.702

Source: Own elaboration.

, the values obtained for rho-A, CRI and AVE for this same construct are adequate, giving sufficient arguments for its reliability. This study presents reflective second-order constructs that are expected to contain a minimum factor load of 0.5 for their respective items [52].

The second-order model was then analyzed in SmartPLS 4.0 software. All the constructs met these requirements (in the case of the gastronomic attitude variable, it was close to the expected value for Cronbach’s alpha), as observed in Table 3.

4.2.2. Validity Analysis Scale

Discriminant validity indicates that a given construction is different from another construction. To evaluate this type of validity, Fornell and Larcker (1981) criteria and the HTMT matrix [52] were used. According to Fornell and Larcker [51], a construct has discriminant validity if its AVE is greater than squared correlations between this construct and the others. The criterion of Fornell and Larcker [51] confirmed discriminant validity. Likewise, the heterotrait–monotrait (HTMT) relationship demonstrates discriminant validity when the relationship is not >1, and in this case, the value was 0.495 [52]. Once validity and reliability were demonstrated, the structural model was evaluated to measure relationships between variables (the beta β coefficient represents the strength of the relationship). For the level of significance, a T-Student test was obtained from a bootstrapping process in the same statistical system.

4.2.3. Correlations Coefficients and Significance

Likewise, it is proposed for this study that a relationship is significant when there is a T value greater than 1.965 and a value of p < 0.05.

Table 4. Hypothesis validation.

Hypothesis		B	Mean	Deviation	T Statistic	p Values	2.5%	97.5%
GA -> MD	*C	0.501	0.508	0.056	8.977	0.000	0.387	0.605

Source: Own elaboration. *C = hypothesis confirmed. GA = gastronomic attitude, MD = motivational dimensions to consume local food.

shows the correlation values of each item with their constructs and their corresponding T values, all significant (see Table 4).

4.2.4. Structural Model Results

Table 4 shows the results obtained for the structural model. The correlation coefficient expresses the degree of linear dependence between two quantitative variables. R2 is the percentage of variation of the response variable that explains its relationship with one or more predictor variables (that is, the degree of explanation of the phenomenon studied); in this case, an R square of 0.251 and an R square adjusted of 0.249 are presented. The T-value and the p-value (the p-value is defined as the probability that a calculated statistical value is possible given a certain null hypothesis) represent the level of significance of the hypothesis; in this case, it is considered significant and proves the hypothesis with a T-value of > 1.965 and a p-value of < 0.05 (See Figure 4).

4.2.5. Hypothesis Validation

In this study, it is verified that “gastronomic attitude” directly and positively influences “motivational dimensions to consume local food”; this influence is medium and has a high level of significance. It should be noted that the dimension that has the greatest influence on “motivational dimensions of gastronomic experiences” is sensory appeal, and the one that has the least influence is concern for health. For “gastronomic attitude”, the greatest influence is based on the following question: How much did gastronomy influence your visit to city of Santiago de Cali? The least influence was based on the following question: How would you rate your knowledge about gastronomy?

It should be noted that within the cultural experience variable, the question that has the greatest influence is “food offers a unique opportunity to discover something new”, and the one with the least influence is “food offers a unique opportunity to understand local cultures”. In the case of emotions, the one with the greatest influence was “the experience of local food in its place of origin excites me”, and the one with the least influence is “the holidays make me forget routine”. In interpersonal relationships, the variable with greatest influence is “consuming local food increases friendship or closeness with people”, and the one with the least influence is “it allows me to have a good time with friends and/or family”. For sensory appeal, the variable with the greatest influence is “local food smells good”, and the least influential variable was “it is different from the taste of the same food in my own city”. Finally, when it comes to health concerns, the most influential is “local food is nutritious”, and the least influential is “it keeps me healthy”.

5. Discussion

The analysis of the causal relationship of the variables validated the positive and significant influence of the gastronomic attitude on motivational dimensions to consume local food, highlighting that these motivations are part of the gastronomic experience at the destination in accordance with those proposed in previous studies [33,35,40,47,48].

Analyzing the results, the motivations for consuming local food with the greatest impact were identified; when comparing values of the betas obtained from the model, it was determined that the sensory attractiveness dimension (β = 0.882) was the one with the most impact on construct. In terms of context, this high impact could be related to the high level of satisfaction described by respondents in their first stay with the flavors, textures, and smells of the food, as well as its relationship with culture and history, but in addition, feelings of satisfaction may also be related to the experiences of visitors, and especially associated with local chefs and their closeness to visitors, which coincides in a certain way with previous studies such as those by Kim and Choe in 2018, where the importance of sensory experiences on the quality of tourists’ gastronomic experiences is indicated [7,9]. The next most influential dimension is the interpersonal relationship dimension (β = 0.860); thirdly, the emotion dimension (β = 0.839); and, lastly, the health concern dimension, obtaining a β = 0.783.

Faced with the gastronomic attitude construct, item PCG3, How much did gastronomy influence your visit to the city of Cali?, was the item that best explained this construct (β = 0.916); therefore, it could be said that although the main focus of the tourist who visits this destination is probably not gastronomy, this would be associated with the fact that positive and satisfactory gastronomic experiences are obtained at the destination. On the other hand, this coincides with previous studies, which indicate that local gastronomy is a key factor in the choice of destinations by foreign visitors [16]. Secondly, item PCG2, how would you rate your interest in gastronomy? (β = 0.753), could confirm that there is a latent interest in gastronomy among tourists who visit the destination, which could influence them when choosing the destination to plan their next vacations.

6. Conclusions, Implications, Limitations, and Future Research

This study validates the relationship between two important constructs that have received little attention from academics in applied contexts, such as gastronomic attitude and motivational dimensions to consume local food as part of the gastronomic experience [41]. However, in addition to the gastronomic attitude of visitors, there are other variables that can influence tourists’ motivations to consume local food, such as images of the destination. The hypothesis proposed in this study was corroborated, and consequently, it was possible to demonstrate that gastronomic attitude directly and positively influences motivational dimensions to consume local food as part of the gastronomic experience.

Among the main findings is the fact that the dimension that had the most significant impact on motivation to consume local food of the different gastronomic experiences was sensory activity, and by analyzing each of the items that explain this factor, it is possible to discern that the tourist who visits Cali considers how the local food looks, smells, and tastes to be important to the overall gastronomic experience. This study empirically demonstrates that tourist’s interest in interacting with people and culture through gastronomic experience develops at the destination, and they consider that this type of experience could generate or increase levels of friendship and bonding among tourists and destination residents.

This study verifies the importance of the social and cultural context of gastronomic experience when traveling. The study also clarifies the relationship between gastronomic experience and destination: the experience can be consumed on site, transported home, and used to access pleasure and memory upon return. Finally, DMO managers should understand that gastronomic experience involves a comprehensive assessment of a destination’s competitiveness, and how gastronomy relates to other significant brand attributes and characteristics.

This research contributes theoretically in two aspects. First, through a path model that integrates the causal relationship between two variables in the field of gastronomic tourism, gastronomic attitude and motivational dimensions of the gastronomic experience, the importance of the gastronomic attitude of the visitor stands out as a predictor of motivation to consume local foods. Second, of three indicators of gastronomic attitude (knowledge about gastronomy, interest in gastronomy and the gastronomy of destination), the influence of the city’s gastronomy on the visit was the most predominant factor on the visitor’s attitude towards gastronomic tourism, for the case of an emerging tourist destination.

In this study, the positive influence of the gastronomic attitude on the motivation to consume local foods as part of the gastronomic experience was corroborated. In this sense, the identification and understanding of indicators of gastronomic attitudes of visitors and potential visitors will be useful for DMOs and DMCs to develop destination marketing and tourism and to offer strategies aimed at international market segments and market niches with greater knowledge and interest in gastronomy. Despite gastronomy tourism’s noted synergies with other visitor segments, such as ecotourism, it is possible that smaller market segments can coalesce into a product greater than the sum of its parts. For example, the city’s emphasis on Salsa dancing and sports may also be associated with gastronomy and wellness for young and old alike—promoting Cali as an active destination that emphasizes physical fitness, and healthy lifestyles clearly should include a food component in which nutrition and healthy eating habits coexist side by side with other market segments. From a communication perspective, it is important that DMOs develop much more effective tourism marketing strategies that communicate the attributes and value of a city’s gastronomy, in light of its recognition as a gastronomic city of the Délice Global Network and the traditional cuisine of the Colombian Pacific, which is considered Intangible Cultural Heritage for Sustainable Development by UNESCO [53].

Although it is an emerging destination, it is not a mass destination, and it is important to develop some initiatives as part of the city’s sustainable tourism strategy. Regarding variables that explain the dimension of concern for health, it is possible to conclude that the tourists surveyed highlighted local food as nutritious but gave a higher level of importance to high contents of fresh ingredients produced locally or from farm to table. Therefore, the results suggest that it would be very useful for destination managers to develop destination marketing strategies highlighting these properties of local gastronomy; likewise, an integrated strategy should include encouraging and strengthening the consumption or supply of locally produced ingredients for gastronomic tourism, especially those that can be truthfully marked as organically or sustainably harvested without greenwashing, as suggested by Montero–Navarro [54]. Additionally, the results of the study also draw attention to the development of strategies that favor the conservation of the destination’s gastronomic history, allowing the roots of ancestral cuisines of the Colombian Pacific to be maintained and replicated, as this could be a determining factor that could encourage tourists to come into contact with the destination’s culture and history. Therefore, and as suggested by some previous studies [55,56] in this context, gastronomic tourism plays a leading role in the continuity of historical and cultural tourism, and perhaps even in historical preservation, since many catering establishments may have operated as such for decades or even hundreds of years. Finally, gastronomic tourism policies and programs must guarantee a minimum environmental impact on tourist sites and on destinations in general, as well as exercise control of the tourist flow in places associated with tourist experiences.

It is recommended that for future studies, the relationship proposed here can be replicated in representative samples with a greater degree of homogeneity to better understand how and on what level the relationships among the constructs described occur. However, the sample used in this study is statistically appropriate.

The authors believe it would be interesting to carry out comparative studies that include high and low tourist seasons, as well as measurements within the framework of large-format cultural and gastronomic festivals (e.g., Petronio Álvarez Colombian Pacific Music Festival).