Publication

Abstract : Recently nostalgia has received attention from academic researchers for increasing destination attractiveness and tourist footfalls. Despite increasing interests in food tourism, little research exists regarding gastro-nostalgia to motivate tourists for visiting gastro-festivals. The current study identifies six potential dimensions of gastro-nostalgia through extant literature review viz., cuisine, gastro-experience, gastro-festive ambiance, socialization, personal identity, and cultural identity. Furthermore, it developed a robust instrument for measuring gastro-nostalgia as a reflective-reflective second-order construct using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. The study collected perceptual responses from tourists and individuals having positive memories associated with two prime gastro-festivals in India: (a) Durga puja (221 responses) and (b) Onam (257 responses). The instrument is empirically validated through factorial validity, nomological validity, and measurement invariance. The study showed that gastro-nostalgia could positively influence tourists’ willingness to recommend intentions and revisit intentions. The study offers several implications for destination managers and event managers.